The Bemidji daily pioneer., 1908-03-23
FOREST SERVICE WOULD
TAKE CHARGE OF TIMBER
Indians Would Have to Pay for lex
pert Supervision of Their
Timber Lands.
Bemidji, March Fl.

Bemidji, March Fl.
To the Editor of the Pioneer:
My attention has been called to
circular recently issued by F. E.
Leupp, commissioner of Indian
affairs, in which it appears that the
Indian department officials have
leagued themselves with the forest
service for the further withholding
from allotment Indian lands, espec-
tally those on which there is any tim
Der, the good intents of which (if
there are any) are not apparent to
anyone with whom I have talked
concerning the circular.
The following is a copy of the cir
cular:
department of the Interior,
office of Indian Affairs,
Washington,
March 2, 1908.
To the United States Indian Agent
or other officer in charge.
"Sir:-Under date of January 22,
1908, the Secretary of the Interior
and the Secretary of Agriculture
entered into an agreement, by the
terms of which the Forest Service of
the Department of Agriculture is to
make careful study of the forest on
Indian reservations for the purpose
of determining the best permanent
use of the lands, and when they are
found more valuable for forest pur-
poses than any other, to prepare and
apply plans for their management;
to sell such timber as may be cut
without injury to the forest; to su-
pervise the logging under methods
which will improve the forest and
yield the full market value of all
timber cut; and to protect all for
ests on Indian reservations whether
they are being cut or not.
"WhiIe the saIeries and expenses OF men
employed TO carry out the agreement mentioned
are to be paid by the Indian office, all men to
be employed in this work, together with these
now empoIyed in the forest work on Indian
reservations, shall be a part of the force
and shall be responsible only and directly te
the Forest Service.
The Forest Service will observe
in it's administration the general
policies of the Indian Office affect
ing the welfare of the Indian; for
instance, the employment of Indian
labor, and keeping liquor away from
the Indians. The work in the woods
shall be conducted in accordance
with general policies agreed on by
the Forest Service and the Indian
Office, and shall be initiated and
superintended wholly by the officers
of the Forest Service. In handling
these lands the Forest Service will
conform as nearly as possible with
the policy, standards, organiza-
tions, and methods of similar work
on the National Forests. AS far
as possible, the Indian reserva-
tions will be put under the SUPER
vision of the Forest officers in charge
of neighboring National Forests, but
where this is impossible, as in Min
nesota, Wisconsin and Michigan,
other officers will be assigned to this
work by the Forest Service. The
work of the officers on the reserva-
ton will be inspected by the in
spectors of the Forest Service, now
organized in six districts for the in
spection of the National Forests.
All correspondence and all
matters relative in any way to tim
Der contracts or timber or log scales.
or logging Operations, or men who
handle timber work, shall in the
future be reported to the Forester,
Forest Service, Washington, D, c..
Any correspondence of the nature
referred to which is received by anv
officer of the Indian Office except
through the Forester, shall i'm
mediately be referred to the Forester.