The Salt Lake herald-Republican. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1909-1918, 1910-02-14
FOR RESTORATION
To PUBLIC DOMAIN
Examination of Forest B0un-
diaries Makes Possible
More Land.
RECOMM ENDATI0NS MADE
WILSON AND BALLINGER REPORT
TO PRESIDENT.
RECOMM ENDATIONS MADE
Especial to The neutrality-suspicious.

Especial to The Herald Republican,
Washington, Feb 13.-The examination
of national forest boundaries carried on
by the forest officers last summer and
fall, upon the initiative Of Secretary Will
son and under his direction, has resulted
in new information, which Will make IT
possible to restore to the unreseryed pub
lie domain much land along the edges
of and within forests that is not best
suited to forest purposes. This IS TO be
done under plan just approved by Pres
iGent Taft The plan was formulated by
Secretary Wilson and Secretary Balm
ger jointly, and submitted to the Presi-
dent in the following letter:
Letter to President.
After having very carefully considered
the matter of eliminatiOns from and ad-
ditions to the national forests, we re-
specially recommend that the following
general policy be adopted;
Il. Lands wholly or in part covered
with brush or other underground which
protects stream flow or checks erosion
on the watershed of any stream import
ant to irrigation or TO the water sup
ply OF any city, town or community, or
open lands on which trees may be grown,
should be retained within the national
forests, unless their permanent value IN
der cultivation is greater than their value
as a protective forest.
-. Lands wholly or in part covered
lands which are more valuable Tor the
production of trees than for agricultural
crops, and lands densely stocked 'Slth
young trees having prospective value
greater than the value OF the land Tor
agricultural purposes, should be retained
within the national forests.
3. Lands not eiJher wholly or IN part
covered with timber or underground
which are located above timber line with
in The forest boundary or in small bod
les scattered through the forest, making
elimination impracticable, or limited areas
which are necessarily included Tor
proper administrative boundary line,
should be retained within the national
forests.
Il. Lands not either wholly or in part
covered with timber or underground, eN-
cept as provided for in the pre- 'ding par
agraphs, upon which it is not expected
10 grow trees, should be eliminated from
the national forests.
Idea to Correct Lines.
A definition OF the lines along which
action should be taken was called Tor py
the fact that reports ana maps are now
in the possession of the department OF
agriculture which show the character or
the lands and The cover along the lines
of the national forest boundaries. The
purpose of the department IN securing
This informant was to make possible
a correction OF the boundaries on the
principles now approved by the President,
for il has never been INTENDED lndI the
national forests should include agrlcul-
turaI land or grazing land not suitable
for forest purposes Plans for gathering
the data We're drawn up undcr Secretary
Wilson's direction a year ago, and IN
structions for going over the 6O,uOO miles
of boundaries were issued to the national
forest officers last May. As result
the boundaries can now be more careful
" corrected than has ever before peen
possible.
ON the whole, the changes which are
found to be called for are of relatively
minor Importance, but in their aggregate
they open to settlement large amount
of land. The application of the rules
which the President has approved Will
mean the early restoration 10 the punlc
domain Of 100000 acres or more OF ma
tiOnaI forest land. This is something over
. Der cent Of the total national forest
area. Three-tenth of the forests have
Vet to be mapped.
Some of the land is suitable for dry
land agriculture, though the greater part
is grazing land. In Idaho, which uaS a
large rational forest area, about 4tt,tyV
acres will bee eliminated, of which u per
cent is tiilable. Examinations IN similar
proportion will be made in number OF
the other western states which have large
amounts OF land in national forests