The Rathdrum tribune. (Rathdrum, Idaho) 1903-1963, 1909-10-08
FORESTRY IN / NUTSHELL
The Need and Purpose Of
Conservation.
PROTECT WOOD AND WATER
wasteful Use Must be Stopped or
Famine win Result.

"A very few years ago forest con.
servation' was little more than a
phrase; today ID is u vital issue in
our national development" says
I9eadwelL Cleveland, Jr.. Ia u circu
lar on the status of forestry 10 this
county, which has just been issued by
the United States forest service.
IN connection with the general plan
70 conserve all natural resources, It
is the most important and far. reach.
Ing economic policy ever adopted and
pursued by any nation.
"Ihe forest is one Of the chief sup.
ports OF the whole material fabric OF
our civilization. The forest means
not only permanent supply Of wood
and the lite Of all the Industries
which depend upon it, hut also the
control Of the waters for human use.
There is only bar rrenness in the future
OF the nation which has lost the use
OF wood and control of water.
The sort OF use that was made OF
natural resources during the pioneer.
ing stage, while right enough at the
time, Is far too wasteful To be carried
on into the new industrial era. In
order TO know how to use a thing.
however. 1t is necessary first to find
out how much OF IL there Is tO use.
ana taking stock OF our forest re.
sources has led to startling results.
ut has shown that we are still
destroying the forest as we use IL:
that we are taking from II eyery wear
three and half times as much wood
as Is added by the new growth. II
mas shown that less than one third uf
the growing tree felled by the lumber
man is ever used at all,sso that two.
thirds OF all the timber cut is simply
DESTROYED. 1t has shown that one
eleventh of all the forests are swept
by fires every year, and that on the
average since 1879 forest flres have
yearly cost $50, 900. 900 in timber and
fifty lives. 1t has shown that over
ninety nine per cent of the forests in
private hands-w hich Comprise three
fourths Ut all the forest land and
four f1fth OF all the wood-is thus
devastated by destructive use and thu.
scourRe Of unchecked fires, while les>
than one per cent is properly handled
for successive crops or effectively pro
tected from fre. The forest as re
source is rapidly being obliterated.
"But the invt ntory Of the forests
has had yet other ugly facts to reveal.
With the disappearance and deteriora-
tion Of the mountain forests the ma.
tion is losing control OF the streams,
which are useful in our civilization
10 ways and degrees unparalleled b,
any other resource. Pure water for
domestic purposes is, Of course, indis.
pensable; usable water at the right |
seasons IL the sole reliance RI the |
great projects by which the arid lands |
are vivified by irrigation; cheap water
transportation Is 4 matter OF dollars |
and cents to every citizen; trust
worthy power streams are the key to
the age Of electricity, at the gates OF
which modern industry Is standing.
Yet the guardian Of the waters is
steadily compelled to retreat before
the AK and fire.
'In waste alone we reject more
than twO-thirds Of the lumber that
might he taken from the standing
trees. At least half Of this waste is
unnecessary. In the frst place, we
waste the forest by refusing to take
advantage of Its full capacity for
growth. Protected and properly
managed, our forests will produce far
more wood than they do at present.
But while IT is wasteful to cripple
the forest by a violent numbering
which destroys young growth-tbe
promise Of the future forest--it is
doubly wasteful to lock up the forest
and let the ripe timber die and decay,
for 10 the former case the forest at
least contributes a temporary supply
OF wood, whereas in the latter case IL
contributes no wood at all.
''IL Is not use whicn destroys the