The St. Mary banner. (Franklin, Parish of St. Mary, La.) 1889-1931, 1908-04-04
APPALAcH IAN FORESTS.
Immediate Action to Prevent Dessruc.
ton Urged.

ton OrSed.
AS a result of one of the most ex.
tensive and ttoroughgoing field invas-
legations which the government has
ever conducted Secretary of Agrical-
ture Wilson, in his special report.
transmitted to congress. recommends
| that the government acquire an area
not to exceed 100000 acres in the
| White mountains. and areas aggreSat-
ing rot more than 100000 acres In
the southern Appalachians, for the es-
Enlistment of national forests. The
! average price to be paid per acre IS
put at So for the White mountains and
S3.oo for the Southern Appalachians.
Inc lands which it is recommended
that the government take over are in
the Blue Ridge and Great Smoky
mountains OF North Carolina and Ten
nessee, South Carolina and Georgia, in
the Allegheny mountains of Eastern
and southern West Virginia and west
ern Virginia, in the Cumberland noun
talns OF eastern Kentucky. Tennessee
and northern Alabama, and in the four
mostly in New Hampshire. Immedi-
ate action is urged by TIL secretary.
since the natural resources of both re-
glons are being seriously impaired by
reckless numbering and wasteful use.
The report of the secretary contains
the first complete study of conditions
in the southern Appalachians and
White mountains and gives some
startling facts concerning the amount
OF water power available, the depend
ence OF the nation on the southern APP
palachians for its future hardwood
supply and the enormous reduction in
the value for water power and naviga-
ton of the streams which would result
from the removal of the forests from
the mountains. The secretary empha-
sizes the fact that the two regions un.
der consideration are advancing rapid.
ly toward condition of barrenness
and steriiity. 1t is estimated that in
the upland couftry south of Pennsyl.
vania not less than one hundred
square miles of arabic ard forestable
land are absolutely lost each year
through the removal of the woods and
the consequent washing of the soil.
That part of the report which deals
with the production of timber brings
out strikingly the fact that the nations
future hardwood supply rests in the
control of the southern Appalachians.
In the last seven years the hardwood
ont hoc 70 0F
cent and this in the face of an unprece-
denied demand. In the same period
the wholesale prices of hardwood lum-
Der advanced from Is to 65 percent. A
liberal estimate gives the remaining
stand of hardwoods of the country at
400, O00. 100000 feet, enough to last for
only sixteen years. The report then
points out that it is the Appalachian
region. where 100000 acres are pri-
marily adapted to the production of
hardwood timber. to which the hard
wood using industries must look for
future supplies.
Concerning water power. the report
brings out some new facts. Based on
the lowest two weeks in the year, it
states that under present conditions
the streams of the southern Appala-
chians afford a minimum of 2.74O,OOO
horsepower. Development of the stor-
age facilities of streams would in
crease this from three to thirty times.
At least 50 percent of the minimum
horsepower is available for economic
development. On this basis the re-
port says. the rental of 1.35O.000 horse
power at $40 year is worth $27.OOO.-
900 year In the same way. if there
is added the possible revenue from
the SO percent of power which is pres
ent for only half the year, the total is
brought to $3S.OOO,OOO.
Taken as whole. the report marks
a distinct step forward by outlining
definite program for preserving for
use one of the nations
greatest resources.-New York Trib-
une.