The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-02-20
FORESTS MAY BE IGNORED
Chief of Weather Bureau Discusses
Climate and Precipitation, submit
ting Conclusions to House Com
mIttee on AgricuIture-Oppos to
Ideas Advanced by Chief Forester.

relation Of forests to rainfall. floods. and
climate. These views are opposite to
those advanced by the United States
Forest Service. and Mr.. Moore declares
that the reforestation of mountain slopes
or large tracts of land In any part OF the
country will have no effect upon the rain
fall. the climate or possibly the general
prosperity Of the country.
To all those who have followed the re-
ports of mete0rologists these conclusions
are somewhat startling, cutting across. as
they do, the preconceived notions or men
who have given deep study to agriculture
and forestry in this and other countries
The report serves TO show that broad
| difference Of opinion exists among scien-
| tihc men on the forestry question, and
| that there is broad room for study and
| Investigation before the last word can be
said upon either side OF the controversy
Would Conserve Forests.
| Mr.. Moore declares lie believes heartily
In the conservation of the forest resources
as well as the mineral and other resources
or the country, but upon very different
grounds than those often urged by those
who discuss the problem OF saving the
forests for future generations. He be
/ lieves that the motive should be enConOm-
teal and not on the plea that denuding
the mountains changes the climatic con-
/ ditions and causes floods. He does not
believe that the United States IS in danger
| OF becoming a desert by cutting away
/ the trees or that better conditions VIII
follow their restoration TO any considera-
BILE tracts of land.
/ Mr. Moore lays down the principle that
the recession of the rivers causes the
death Of forests. and not that the cutting
away Of the forests lowers the rivers. In
proof Of this view he cites large tracts
/ OF dead forests in Asia caused by the re-
/ cession Of the lines OF moisture where
I the trees are standing untouched by the
( hand OF man. He also cites case in
/ France where the outflow Of two rivers,
one from wooded sources and one from
/ bare mountains. where the floods are the
same and the low water measurements
have not materially differed for a long
/ period of years.
I Forest ana uttiNatfu hftus
The report goes carefully into the
change from the forest to the cultivated
/ field and reaches the conclusion that
! growing crops are quite as effective upon
/ soil moisture, and climate as trees. He
shows rather conclusively that the out
/ flow Of rivers 10 due solely TO precipita-
( ton over large areas, and that foods are
as high and as disastrous from forest
clad watersheds as from those where
/ agriculture prevails. Indeed. he presents
I facts TO show that floods have not In
creased in frequency or violence in this
country within the range of scientific
/ record and probably not az all.
/ Mr. Moore enters into a long examina-
/ ton OF the reports issued by the Forest
1 Service upon foods and climatic indU-
enCes and attempts TO show false Tea-
soning from misunderstood OF misstated
data. He admits the seriousness Of the
argument. but declares that the conclu-
/ sion reached relative to floods and cli-
matte changes in their relation 10 forests
/ have no foundation IN fact
Great Causes at Work.
Passing on 10 the larger questions o.
rainfall and climate, Mr. Moore shows
/ that both rest upon meteorological op-
erauons Of magnitude that they could not
possibly be effected by local forests OF
iany other influences confined TO compare
lively small areas
+ In describing the rainfall over tbs
/ United states. Mr.. Moore points out that
/ the moisture which descends as rain IS
/ derived from the action Of the sun upor
/ the Gulf Of Mexico and the Atlantic
/ Ocean. For Ihis reason the rainfall is
greater In the South and in the eastern
portions Of the country, fading out 10
almost the vanishing point near the Rocky
/ Mountains He declares that the small
rainfall Of the far inland sections is not
at all due 10 the absence of forests. but
| that the forests are lacking because of
/ the less moisture With reference "a
| local conditions MT Moore does not be-
/ lleve the evaporation from 1000 acres OF
/ forest is less or more than for the same
area OF agricultural crops In the same
place.
! Causes Affecting Climate
Owing to the gradual changes going on
upon the surface of the earth. Mr.. Moore
admits that precipitation is slowly grow
/ Ing less on many parts Of the earth
this has been marked enough to destroy
standing forests. For similar reasons eli
mates are slowly changing. but he scouts
the idea that either Of these great facts
changed by anything man may do with
reference 20 the surface covering OF the
continents.
| In this report, which Is vastly interest
| ing because Of the clearness with which
facts are stated. the working of great
laws are set forth which in time may
greatly change the face OF the world. and
Mr.. Moore objects 10 placing the effect
for the cause in the interests of cultlya-
/ ting enlightened public opinion upon the
need OF forest conservation.
The crux of the whole controversy is
well stated in the following quotation
from the report:
'rhe flooding Of an area. the cutting
away of forests, erosion. and standing
may have either minute or appreciable
| effects upon local climates in proportion
/ to the magnitude of the areas affected
! but this does not mean that there is any
great difference in the climatic effect
between a forest covering and one OF
bushes. Of grass, or of growing crops
and it does not signify that there is suffi-
cient change in the thermal conditions
due to the activities of man, as TO make
an appreciate difference in the tempera-
ture at an altitude of one or two hundred
/ feet or to effect the general climatic
conditions, or to cause storms to be more
frequent than formerly or OF greater
severity, or to increase the amount OF
| Drecfpffatior