The Daily Missoulian., 1909-01-16

of the same year, President Harrison
proclaimed the first of these forest
areas under the name of the felioW-
stone park timber land reserve. Ihe
creation of a number of these natlonal
forests followed and in President
Cleveland's administration, the area
reserved reached total of approXi-
mately 55,000,0 900 acres. on the theory |
that the management of the lands and
not of forests were involved, the ad-
ministration and supervision of these |
areas were placed in the general land |
office of the department of the inter- |
ior. The division of forestry in the |
department of agriculture was given |
no jurisdiction over these lands, and |
SO it continued to occupy itself with
investigative work. Probably, how |
ever, the most important work accom-
plshed by this division of forestry
was the initiation of an organized edu-
cational propaganda to secure proper
forest utilization and management.
Administration Essential.
The mere creation of the nationai
| forests without provision for their ad-
nlinistration was both ineffectual ana
annoying to local interests dependent
upon their resources. The inconsis-
| tency and impracticability Of having
the administration of the national for
ests tied up, and divided between two
departments of the government, soon
became apparent. The department or
the interior concerned with the ad-
ministration Of the public land laws,
was not in position to apply urgent
ly demanded scientific methods OF for
est management. which would open up
the resources of these areas 10 use
Frequent applications were made to
the division of forestry for advice ana
information, The situation was brought
to the attention of the secretary OF
the interior and, in 1896, he requested
the National Academy of Sciences to
recommend a national forest policy.
, This request resulted in the passage
of the act of June 4, 1897, under
, which, with subsequent amendments
: the national forests are now admins
tered. Briefly, this act provides for
= the following administrative outline:
Q 1. 1t authorizes the president to re-
e woke, modify or suspend any executive
= orders or proclamations relating to the
creation of national forests.
g 1t authorizes the establishment o.
, national forests for the following pur
: poses: To improve and protect thu
h forests: to secure favorable conditions
n | of stream flow to furnish continu
@ ous supply of timber for the use anC
O necessities of citizens of the United
h States.
~
|, interior to make such rules and regu
l.. lations as would insure the objects o
d such Observation-Disclosures to regulat
lie their occupancy or use.
N A. 1t stipulated q penalty for tn
,e violation of any such rules or regu
l. lations.
= 5. 1t authorized the sale of timber
~ 6. 1t authorized the free use of tim
,r ber
N T. 1t authorized the ingress an
" egress for all legitimate purposes
arI s. 1t authorized the elimination {
n. or addition to the national forests
as presidential proclamation.
e. :. Organization.
ne Still, under this act, the result we
e. not satisfactory, since there was r
of adequate machinery adapted to put 1
ly provisions into effect These area
he still remained under the general lar
Sc office the department of the int,
as rior.
in At this time it was appreciated TIL
m to put into effect any system of fore
I'D management it would be necessary
tn have trained foresters. There we
as only a few available technical fores
&C. ers in the country, all of whom we
as trained in the European schoo
,p- Through their efforts and liberal a
er, sistance the first schools of forestl
in Cornell and Yale were founded to me
jth the demand for trained men. A nul
nd ber of setbacks met their first mo'
for but the education of trained foreste
ng in this country may be said to ha
ted been an accomplished fact in 19
ss- Thus the bureau Of forestry, whi
ia employed the few trained foresters
a the country, was placed In a positi
AS to secure material to carry out
act comprehensive plan of forest work
ing A Central Head.
his The necessity of having all the I
r,+ | tion's forest work under the divis
nce created for that purpose, was empl
yer sized in recommendations to congr
GRO both by the department of the int
do ior and the department of agricultu
md Finally, on February /, 1905, an
ion was passed transferring the ent
+ho jurisdiction, except in matters of s
,ds veys and passing the title, to the S
,es- retary of agriculture. The actual w
of administration was thereupon gi
to the bureau of forestry, which 81
that date has been designated the
/; of est service. The administrative fol
to policy of the national government n
avs be said to commence on that date
avs The policy upon which the natio
! of forests were to be administered is
tire dicated by the following extracts fl
tor, the letter written February /, 1905,
ex- the secretary of agriculture to the
orv ester:
.nds 'In the administration of the fol
,der reserves it must be clearly borne
,ita mind that all land is to be devoted
,ber its most productive use for the per-
con- nent good of the whole people,
re- not for the temporary benefit of II
, by viduals or companies. All the
re- sources of forest reserves are for
in and this must be brought about i
pre- thoroughly prompt and business
ton manner, under such restrictions
i,,ct 90 4