East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1910-02-17
PLAN FOR CORRECTION Of NATIONAL
FOREST BOUNDARIES IS APPROVED

Washington.-The examination Of
national forest boundaries carried on
by the forest officers last summer and
fall upon the initiative Of Secretary
Wilson and under his direction, has
resulted in new Information, which
will make it possible to restore to the
unreserved public domain much land
along the edges of and within forests
that is not best suited to forest pur-
poses This is to be done under a
plan just approved by President Taft.
The plan was formulated by Secre-
tary Wilson and Secretary Ballinger
Jointly and submitted to the presi-
dent in the following letter:
February Z, 1910.
The President, the White House.
Sir:-After having carefully con-
sidered the matter of ellminations
from and additions to the national
forests, We respectfully recommend
that the following general policy be
adopted
l, Lands wholly or in part covered
with brush or other underground
which protects streamflow or checks
erosion on the watershed of any
stream important to irrigation or to
the water supply of any city, town or
community, or open lands on which
trees may be grown, should be re-
tanned within the national forests, un-
less their permanent value under cul-
tivation is greater than their value as
a protective forest
2. Lands wholly or in part covered
with timber or underground, or cut
over lands which are more valuable
for the production Of trees than for
agricultural crops, and lands densely
stocked with young trees having
prospective greater value than the
value of the land for agricultural pur-
poses, should be retained within the
national forests.
8. Lands not either wholly or in
part covered with timber or under
growth, which are located above tim
Der line within the forest boundary
or in small bodies scattered through
the forests, making elimination i'm
practicable, or limited areas which
are necessarily included for a proper
administrative boundary line, should
be retained within the national for
ests.
4. Lands not either wholly or in
part covered with timber or under,
growth, except as provided for in the
preceding paragraphs, upon which it
Is not expected to grow trees. should
be eliminated from the national for
ests.
We have the honor to be very re-
spectfully, your obedient servants,
(Signed) JAMES WILSON,
Secretary of Agriculture.
(Signed) r. A. BALLINGER,
Secretary Of the Interior.
A definition of the lines along
which action should be taken was
called for by the fact that reports
and maps are now in the possession
of the department OF agriculture
which show the character of the lands
and the cover along the lines of the
national forest boundaries. The pur-
pose Of the department in securing
this information was to make pos
sible a correction Of the boundaries
on the principles now approved by
the president for it has never been
intended that the national forests
should include agricultural land or
grazing land not suitable for forest
purposes. Plans for gathering the
data were drawn UP under Secretary
Wilson's direction a year ago, and in
structions for going over the $4,000
miles Of boundaries were issued to the
national forest officers last May AS