Evening star., 1908-01-28
SAVING WATERSHEDS
Aim of Proposed Appalachian
Forest Reserve.
HEARING NEXT THURSDAY
On 100000 Bill to Purchase Non
Agricultural Land.
MANY ADVOCATING MEASURE
Sources of Great Rivers on Atlantic
Coast to Be Protected-Co-op-
Grafton of Land Owners.
MANY ADVOCATING MEASURE

Grafton of Land Owners.
/ Advocates Of national forest reserves In
| the southern Appalachan mountains and
/ the White mountains will have a hearing
| before a House committee Thursday on
Representative Curriers' bill to appropri-
ate sooO0.O0O to purchase lands to create
such forest reservations. It is expected
| that the governors of the fifteen states in
which the reservations will be situated
will be present. together with delegations
, of twenty representative men from each
state. appointed by the governors. and
delegates from the Appalachian National
Forest Association. the National Lumber
mems Association. the American Civic
Association and the American Institute of
Electrical Engineers. all Of whom favor
| the bill
| The American Forestry Association will
meet Wednesday morning at the New
! Willard. and that meeting will in a sense
! De preparatory to the hearing on the fol-
lowing day. as only brief addresses will
be made and plans perfected for convinc-
ing Congress that the appropriation is for
| the advantage of the nation.
Protection of Watersheds.
An appropriation of $4,000 was made
! by the last Congress for the study of the
region where 1t is proposed to set apart
the reservations. and this work has been
carried on bv the assistant forester. Will
! liam L. Hall. with the assistance of the
geological survey. 1t has been found
that in Maryland. West Virginia. Eirgif1ia,
Kentucky. Tennessee. North Carolina
South Carolina. Georgia and Alabama
there are about 2o.OnO.OH0 acres Of non
agricultural land In the Appalachian
range, and it is proposed that about a
quarter of this land. those sections which
comprise the watersheds at the sources of
great rivers. be ACQUIRED for reservations,
TO guard the streams. prevent floods, etc.
In the White mountains~it is planned to
set apart about 600oe0 acres Of land that
cannot be used for agriculture.
throughout the southern states in
which this movement is advocated there
is reported to be great enthusiasm. and il
is said at the forest service that no oppo-
siton has been encountered from land
owners, but on the contrary that Coop.
GRAFTON has been promised by those whose
lands abut on the proposed reservations.
| The situation will be different from that
| in the west. since here the reservations
being purchased from private holders
whose property has been respected will
be recognized as being held as the gov
ernnlant's own, and rangers. squatters and
W D.
its acquired during a period OF und;sturD-
ed possession.
Damage by Floods.
The forest service urges that these re-
| serves should be :et apart not only for
preserving the hardwood supply and for
| the continuance of navigat ton and water
| power. but also to prevent soil erosion
! by floods and simila!. Gala amities. For in
| stance. it is said that one hood in Penn
| sylvan.a last year caused $4,000, 900
worth of damage--twice the amount
| asked for in this bill to prevent just such
disasters in a region covering fifteen
states.
| Secretary Wilson OF the Department o.
| Agriculture transmits a report in which
reasons for the reservation of the water
sheds are given as follows:
-. The safeguarding of these lands can
not be accomplished by action OF the
states in passing fire and tax laws Some
/ special action taken Wit; view p.i-
marily. of public welfare is necessary.
-. These lands are of value solely for
| timber production. They lie above the
| limits Of fruit growing and farming. If
/ not in timber they must come TO a condi-
| ton of absolute waste. the prey of fire
and any sort of abuse or miSmanagement.
| Cared for. they will form a valuable ad-
| the government must take action to se
| cure.
-. These lands form .ths most impor
tant part of the two regions. Having
the greatest elevation. they receive the
| largest amount of rainfall; bang steep
| est they are most subject to erosion.
| Therefore their influence on the streams
! of the region is far greater. for good or
| i'll, than the influence of any other areas
/ of equal extent
t - Every acre of these lands is on the
| watershed of navigable stream on
/ which for the removal of sand and silt
the government e, nna s is even nov spending
| silt which are now in the rivers have
! come from the cleared slopes of gentler
/ gradient and lower elevation than tn ose
remaining i'm forest If the forest. is de-
/ stroSed from these higher lands the eX-
! pcnse Of keeping the streanl~ clear will
! be multiplied many timas.
- The states cannot afford to pro-
tect these lands. The timber which they
! can produce is not va uable enough for
I the state to protect them for the timber
crop. Almost without exception they lie
! on the watershed of stream which has
! its chief commercial Importance in an
/ other state. Therefore 10 state is willing
/ to put them under control for the pro-
/ tective value of their forest.
| IS BY taking control of these lands the
| federal government would be in a posi-
| ton to exert by example and co-opera-
1
| guarding OF the TWO regions. With rela
lively small bodies of land on each of
| twelve or fifteen important watersheds.
| it could cooperate with pther landowners
on each watershed in protecting the To-
! calty from fire and in the introduction OF
| improved methods Of forest management.
| Advices from timber land owners in many
/ localities justify the opinion that in this
| way conservative forest management can
| be effected over millions of acres of
! private lands. In my iudgment ii is
! clear that by the ownership of aON,. 900
acres in the southern Appa palachians and
| 100000 acres In the White mountains t e
/ government can lead the way to tile right
management and use OF the entire areas
| designated on the maps.
Plans for the Reserves.
/ In the White mountains it is ON
! mended that the government acquire an
/ area of not to exceed 100000 acres within
! the area designated on the accompanying
map and situated as to embrace as
much possible of the Presidential,
Franconia. Sandwich and CarterMoriah
| mountain ranges: that & limit of SIS per
acre he fixed as the average price To be
! paid for cut-over lands: ti,at an appro-