Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-12-18

amount or vegetation to prevent the
severe erosion which occurred In the
other neighboring canyons. AS direct
result of the floods. damage was done
amounting to approximately 100000. In
many places roads were totally de-
stroyed and the transportation prob
lem on the Mnnti forest became so
serious that II was necessary for the
forest service to contribute 1000 to as
sist in repairing the roads in co-opera-
ton with the settlers and other SreSl
users.
PURER WATER,
The principal, object sought to DO
accomplished by the creation of the
Wasatch National forest was the pro-
lection OF the watersheds upon which
the city of Salt Lake Is dependent for
water for domestic and municipal use.
That the forest service administration
has been of great value along these
lines, will I think. be fully admitted
by the citizens of Salt Lake. In fact
the benefits already derived have been
so great that plan OF cooperation
has recently been worked out between
the city on the one hand and the for
est service on the other, whereby
considerable area of city lands are TO
be included within the forest and pso-
tected and administered as such, the
city bearing q reasonable proportion
of this expense and sharing also in the
cost of reforesting the watersheds
which nave been dcnuded by forest
fires which occurred before the
tional forest was created,
From an economic point OF Wow. Q
absolute necessity for = well-defined
plan for the protection and perpetuatlon
OF our forests is plain Our industries
L.. toll II
wood, pay the wages OF more than one
and one-half million men and women.
The present forest area of the country
is but little more than half the former
area OF the present forest area. but
one-fourth IS publicly owned. containing
one-ffth OF all the timber standing.
OF the area publicly owned. 20 per cent
is In the national forests, under q
scientific system of forest management,
whereas OF the lands In private owner
ship, this Is true of less than l per
cent Under present conditions. We
are taking from our forests each year.
not counting the lo~s by FIRE. three and
one-haIf times their annual growth By
reasonable thrift. we can produce
constant timber supply beyond our
present needs. and with II conserve
the usefulness of our streams for irri-
CATION. water supply. navigation. and
power. 10 stDoth III ''hbi-
tion so far as the national fc,c IS ara
concerned and at the Same to
endeavor by corporation ar uca-
tion to bring 1t about on 9th nrcSt
lands outside the national foi - is
the problem with which the forest scry-
ice is now confronted. The problem
Is for the most part an educational oc-
so far as the general public Is con-
cerned, and progress Is naturally slow
However, the results accomplished dur
Ine the past four years lend color 10
the hope that within the next few
wears the United States may take It's
place with the civilized nations of the
older countries in the general applica-
ton of scientific forestry practise on all
lands which are chiefly valuable for
the production of timber crops Es-
pecIalIy in Europe has the practise OF
scientific forestry been in existence for
That this Is true is not
however. the result OF any superior
degree of foresight. but as a matter OF
necessity. following a long
period of wasteful exploitation. This
history is now repeating itself in the
United States. and that the ultimate
result Will bo the general practise OF
scientific forestry. the same as in Eu-
rope. is not to be questioned.