Norwich bulletin., 1910-12-07


 A, ,o5STe has been allotted to the va- rious projects, of which there are thir- ". Congress at fits last session pro vided for the issuing of certificates of Indebtedness not exceeding 2O,0oO GOO, to be redeemed from the reclamation fuad when the proceeds of lands sold ana from the water rents should be sufficient,
 Meantime, in accordance with the provisions of the law, I appointed q board of army engineers to examine the projects and to ascertain which are feasible and worthy of completion. That board has made report upon the subject, which l shah transmit in q separate message within few days
 Forest Lands.
 Nothing can be more important in the matter Of conservation than the treatment of our forest lands. It was probably the ruthless destruction of forests in the older states that first called attention to the necessity for a halt in the waste of our resources. This was recognized by congress by
 
 serve from entry and set aside pub lie timberiands as national forests Speaking generally, there has been re- served of the existing forests about 70 per cent Of all the timbePlands of the government. Within these forests Gn- eiuding 26,o0o,o00 acres in two forests in AIaska) are 100000 acres, of la 9-N. ~ United States proper and include with in their boundaries something like 22,- 100000 acres that belong to the states or to private individuals.
 We have, then, excluding Alaska for ests, a total Of about 144, COG. GOO acres of Sorests belonging to the government which are being treated in accord with the principles of scientific forestry. The law now prohibits the reservation of any more forest lands in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Cobra do and Wyoming except by act of con- gress. I am informed by the depart ment of agriculture that the govern ment owns other tracts Of timberland 1n these states which should be in- cluded in the forest reserves. I rec ommend to congress that the limitation herein imposed be repealed.
 In the present forest reserves there are lands which are not properly for est land and which ought to be sub Ject to homestead entry. This has caused some local irritation. We are carefully eliminating such lands from forest reserves or, where their elimins- ton is not practicable, listing them for entry under the forest homestead act. Congress ought to trust the ex- ecutiTe to use the power of reservation only with respect to land most vaiu- able for forest purposes.
 During the present administration 6,25000o acres of land, largely non timbered, have been excluded from for est reserves, and 3.5oo.Ooo acres of land principally valuable for forest pur- poses have been Included in forest re- serves. making 6 reduction in forest reserves of nontfmbered land amount ing 10 2,7So.oco acres The bureau of forestry since its creation has initlat- cd reforestatiOn on about 15.0O0 acres. A great deal of the forest land is avail able for grazing. During the past year fhe grazing licensees numbered 25, ,G27, and they pastured upon the forest re- serves 1,4o9.S73 cattle. S5.552 horses and 7,558,G5o sheep. for which the gov received S9S6, ,9O9, a decrease from the preceding year of S45,276, due to the fact that no money was col lected or received for grazing on the lands eliminated from the forest reserves. Another source of profit in the forestry is the receipts for timber sold This year they amounted to S1.043,- s2S, Hn increase of S307r326 over the re- ceipts of last year This increase is due to the improvement in transporta- ton Co market and to the greater ia cility with which the timber can be  About S25, GOO. .Oo0 worth of timber ln these national forests was destroyed during the last summer by forest fires
 Coal Lands. The next subject. and one most i'm portant for your consideration, is the disposition of the coal lands in the United States and in Alaska. First as l0 those in the United States At the of this administration there were classified coal lands amounting 10 5.476,oO acres, and there were with irawn from entry for purposes of clas- ,lfcation 17,6G7,OO0 acres. Since that ime there have been withdrawn by ny order from entry for classification .S,977,7 ,743 acTes, making a total with irawaI of 96S44,745 acres. Meantime of the acres thus with .rawn 10,061. .s89 have been classified md found not to contain coal and have 1een restored to agricultural entry and 1 L726,091 acres have been classified as oai lands. while 79,9O3. .239 acres re- main withdrawn from entry and await 1 classification. In addition 337, ,O9O acres l lave been classified as coal lands with i 'ut prior withdrawal, thus increasing he classified coal lands to 10, 429,372 l lcres. Under the laws providing for the 1 Exposition of coal lands in the United | States the minimum price at which { ands ars permitted to be sold is s1O an ! lcre, but the secretary of the interior i Las the power to fix a maximum price l md 10 sell at that price. By the first .