The Glenwood post., 1910-03-19
SAYS REPRESENTATIVES
y WRONG ABOUT FORESTS
Takes Issue With the States
Congressman

In recent speeches delivered by two
of Colorado's representatives in con
gress, Congressman Martin and Taylor,
entitled Forest Reserves and Fed
eral Encroachments Upon the Rights of
the West they frequently state thai
out of the 10000, 900 acres contained in
the national forests of this state, that
over two-thirds, or approxximate'y
IL 900 900 acres of this area is noE-
forest land, being devoid of trees and
are of agricultural character, with the
exceptions in some places of growth
of scrub oak and also containing
grasses and forage, but that such areas
will produce immense crops of oats, al
falfa, timothy, potatoes and small
fruits. While it is generally conceded
there are certain areas contained with
in the national forests, that upon care
full survey might be aggregated into
various classes, such as coal, oil, min
)eral, phosphates, agricultural and graz
ing lands, the probability is that any
vast tracts of the same do not exist
and the total area if properly classified
and eliminated would show the above
statement to be exceedingly erroneous.
Since the government itself through
the geological survey, has not yet even
defined the boundary lines of these for
est reserves, much less analyzed, cross
sectioned and classified the same. it will
readily be seen that any statements re
specting the amount of treeless land
or vet the number of acres of agricul-
tural or grazing lands and the quality
and adaptability Of the same, is specn-
lation pure and simple. In these same
speeches, it is admitted that the aver
age altitude of the 1S forest reserves
in Colorado is 5000 feet. This is about
1000 feet below the average timber
line, so with these facts It, of necessity,
eliminates the majority of these areas.
as land suitable to agriculture or crop
raising.
Mr.. Martin makes the statement that
he resides himself upon a forest reserve
and knows whereof he speaks "since
his information is not acquired from a
window of Pullman car or Conserva-
tion Magazine" but yet he asserts the
most valuable one quarter of the state
o fColorado will only be a federal ten
ancy, occupied b ythe people of lower
legal status than any tenancy known,
and that the use of the public domain
will be rented to the highest bidder. If
such were true, it certainly does not
reflect credit either upon the balance
of the territory of Colorado, or upon
the brains of the people previously ac-
quiring the same. AT no time have
these grazing privileges been rented to
the highest bidder, but on the contrary
placed at the lowest possible charge
within reason and at all times the
rights and privileges to acquire grazing
permits have been strictly restricted to
the actual settlers and taxpayers living
within the county or district adjacent
to the reserves, and the outsider and
nonresident being practically debarred
from the same.
The question of the use of the forage
and feed growing upon these forest re-
serves is now being peacefully enjoyed
by the stockmen living within and aiJa-
cent thereto, and it is now fact the
stockmen residing upon the western bor-
der Of this state and in close proximity
to the Utah line realize were it not for
the protection received from the fed
eral administration of the forest re-
serves, they would be eaten out and
their business ruined by the sheepmen
from Utah, and it is a further fact that
instead of continual war and b]oodshed
between the sheepmen and cattlemen,
the lamb and the lion now lie down to
gether under the guiding and protect
ing arm of the federal law.
1t seems to be the desire to create an
impression that great harm exists be-
cause the people are not allowed to take
up homestead of 100 acres as agricul-
tural land amongst rocks or forests at
an altitude of 5000 feet, where they
could not possibly exc out an existence
upon what they could produce from the
soil, and such would be the case, upon
greater part of this domain, but con
trary to the many statements frequent
ly made the legitimate homesteader is
not debarred from taking or making an
entry within a forest reserve, and 1t IS
extremely doubtful if anyone can prove
Of one single case where homesteader
would not be allowed to take up such
claim providing the land was suitably
situated and Of such class and charac-
ter from an agricultural standpoint