The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1909-12-16
A MENACE TO NEW ENGLAND.

The Springfield Republican calls
attention to the fact that the region
around the headwaters Of the Con-
necticut River is being denuded of
forests. This is a matter of vital i'm
portance to the people of Vermont,
for this stream forms the entire east
ern boundary and drains half the
area of the State. Uuon this river
depend no inconsiderable part of the
industries of New England from Coos
county New Hampshire to Long
Island Sound. The Republican says
in part:
1T should interest manufacturers.
river navigationsts and others in
this vicinity to know that new cam
paign has begun in forest destruction
information comes that the Connecti-
cut Valley Lumber Company is now
cutting on the Nash stream, one of
the tributaries of the upper Connec-
ticut in New Hampshire. The area
being cut over is about 20 square
miles, and it is being cut clean, all
spruce trees down to four inches in
diameter being taken. This is elevat-
ed and rocky soil, about 1900 feet
above sea level. Forests upon. such
soil and at such an elevation require
70 =
would take spruce tree 100 years
to reach a diameter even of six inch
es. If fire should follow the AK, as it
will sooner or later, the soil as well
as the debris is consumed, and often
made permanently barren. 1t will
thus be many decades before this
feeder of the Connecticut River will
again come to enjoy that forest pro-
lection to it's watershed which will
prevent the quick spring melting of
the SHOWS and will hold back and dis
tribute over longer period of time
the heavier rainfalls of the warm sea-
son.
ais this a matter which concerns
your city," asks an expert New
Hampshire observer. 1t certainly
must be so considered, and we can
wish the State of New Hampshire
might do something to prevent this
continued denudation of the White
Mountain region. But that State Is
less interested in maintaining the
flow of the Connecticut than this
State. and it's financial capacity is
! limited. Nor can we look to the Con-
necticut Valley Lumber Company fol-
assistance. 1t has been permitted tc
acquire this land for this particular
purpose, and is doing only what Other
lumber and pulp companies are do
ing. They are commercial concerns
and while it is commercially profit.
able for them to select their cuttings
on the low lands and conserve the
forest growth, such is not the case or
these rocky uplands where another
crop is many decades in growing
Conservation here is a matter for the
interested public to take hold of, ant
the interested public in this case /:
not New Hampshire so much as near
fly all of New England. 1t is an inter
state concern, and therefore some
thing for the National Government t
take hold Of"
This stripping of the forests in tn,
northern part of New Hampshire /,
not matter concerning a few thous
and cords of wood, certain number
OF logs, and a few hundred acres o
wild laud. 1t involves to a greater o.
less degree the prosperity of score
OF villages and cities, the welfare O
hundreds of thousands of people, an,
the investment of millions of dollars
IL Is absolutely essential to the main
tenance of existing Industrial con
ditions that the level of the Connec
ticut River shall not be materials
lowered. From the small waite
wheels that furnish power for a lii
tie village industry, to the grea
mills OF Holyoke, and Springfield
and the Connecticut cities, all depen
upon this great river of New Eng
land for the impetus that starts tn
machinery and keeps 1t moving. Thes
Facts being true it can hardly b
argued that such numbering opera
tons are purely private matter.