Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1908-06-29
G|LA NATIONAL
FOREST DIVIDED
Northern Half to Be
Known as Datil
Reserve
BIG BURR0s ABSORBED
Three Small Additions and
One Elimination Made in
Recent Order.

Washington, June 29.--The presi
dent has just signed proclamation
dividing the Gila National Forest into
two separate National Forests. The
northern division OF the present Gila
Will be known hereafter as the Dati
Forest, while the southern division re-
| tains the name Gila, and also takes ir
what was previously the Big Burros
National Forest
This proclamation has also made
/ three small additions to these Forests
and one elimination. The Datil Nation.
al Forest now includes an additional
area not heretofore embraced in the
northern division of the Gila, of ap
lproximately $4,000 acres. This addition
is located in the vicinity of Corduroy
Canyon. 1t is nearly all covered with
yellow pine timber.
The new boundary includes several
sections of very good pine along the
northeast slopes of the Indian Peaks
and also strip of timber which ex-
tends north from the old forest on
the east side of Corduroy Canyon. A
considerable portion of this timber
can be placed in a commercial class,
which will average about $500 feet
per acre.
The changes also include an elm.
ination of 1859 acres of open land 10.
Gated along the east side of Corduroy
Canyon near the Adobe ranch. This
proclamation has settled the boundar.
les Of the forests very satisfactorily
as it includes all the valuable timber
land in the vicinity, and at the same
time excludes all areas that are un-
suited for forest purposes.
The additions to the ella National
Forest on the south are in two parts,
lone of these covers the western slope
|of the Black Range between the old
boundary and the Mimbres River con.
|sisting of approximately sixteen thou
sand acres. This is in the form of a
long narrow strip and still leaves a
considerable area between the Forest
boundary and the Mimbres river. The
canyons in this vicinity all contain
yellow pine and some Of it is of ex-
cellent quality. and will average on
limited areas from 5000 to 5000 feet
per acre. Portions of this area were
cut over many years ago, but all such
lands are capable of growing trees.
The second addition along the south
side OF the forest includes what is
known as Bear Mountain in T. II S.,
Ranges IA and Is west. 1t is an area
|of approximately 12,1SO acres. This
lis a very important addition since it
includes much of the watershed of
|San Vincente Creek from which the
water supply for municipal and do.
nestle purposes for Silver City is OBJ
|tained. The food which occurred in
August, 1904, and destroyed approxi
mately 100000 of property in and ad
|jacent to Silver City can be attribut
ed almost entirely to the destruction
|of brush and timber on this area For
the welfare of Silver City it is ex.
|tremely important that the Bear Noun
|tain addition be carefully managed
and replanted with timber as soon as
possible. This area was originally in
tended to be within the Gila Forest
but owing to the inaccuracies in the
map it was inadvertently left out. II
now contains some yellow pine tim
ber, approximately 100000 board feet
and considerable young growth, which
liz protected, would go long way to
ward remedying the unsatisfactory
water condition.
The area of the Datil National
Forest, including the recent additions
and eliminations is now 100000
acres.
The area of the new Gila, including
1.-THE recent addition and the Original
Big Burros National Forest is now !,
774,801 acres.
The headquarters of the ella Ma
tional Forest will remain at Silver
City with Supervisor W. H. Goddard
| in charge while the headquarters o
the new Datil National Forest will bt
at Magdalena, in charge Of Supervis