The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1911-12-21
For APPALACHIAN RESERVE.

Government Buys Many Tracts aF
Western North Carolina TimbeBed
Lands.
The first purchase OF land under TIE
Weeks law authorizing the creation II
the Appalachian forest reserve, WAB
authorized at meeting of the national
forest reservation commission in the
office OF Secretary Of War StimGOK.
chairman. of the commission on tha
Sth OF the present month.
TIE ntracts of mountain land, aggFe-
eating 1880 acres, in Mcdowell couH-
ty, North Carolina, were decided upOm
by the commission for purchase. TIE
tracts range from 100 to 10000 acres
in size, and are located near Mt Hit
chell, in the western part Of the stats
and are declared to be excellent for
practical forest work The price
ranges from So to $6 an acre, the t0taE
cost amounting to about 100000.
All the tracts are on the WATERSHEDS
of the Catawba river, an important
tributary OF the Wateree river, which
| with the Congaree, forms the Santee,
a stream of much Industrial import
ance which, with its tributaries, is nxE-
igable for $50 miles in South Carolina.
In taking favorable action upon
these tracts the commission was unan-
imous in the conclusion that it had ge-
lected one of the most favorable local
tiles of the Southern Appalaehfau
region for the application Of the Weeks
| law, the purpose of which is the HEo-
lection and control of the WATERSHEDS
of naVigable streams.
| Further meetings will be held in the,
near future to take action upon other
tracts already under consideration
[ Some of the tracts decided upon &C
the meeting above referred to are we'll
timbered, some partially cut over and
some entirely cut over. With the a1-
eeption of one tract, all are purchases
| without timber or mineral FeseFva-
tons. On one tract OF $500 acres tie
standing timber is reserved by tha-
owners and will be cut under regWEE
tons already agreed upon with the de-
partment of agriculture. These reEU~
| lations are so framed as to leave upgH
the ground q considerable stand e.
young timber and insure it's pRoteetJOL
from fire.
All OF the tracts are contiguous, Or
nearly so, and will form an area large
enough for administration purposes
and for the demonstration Of methGdR
OF practical forestry in this portion %
the Southern Appalachians.
The forest service had made care
full examination and had reported On
the character. and value of the land
and timber. The geological surveys
report said that federal control Of the
lands will prevent excessive soil vast
age and erosion which is likely to en-
sue II such control is not established
The prevention Of excessive erosion, It
added, will tend to promote and pre-
serve the navigability OF the Catawb1,
river within the watershed, of WhfcB
the district lies.
| Other tracts OF timber and whiCE
have been examined soon will Be
brought before the commission for
consideration.
The commission today reaffrmed the
announcement made early in summer
that it will not pay any speculative
prices for land, and will not purchase.
any land which will not conduee d.
F0ctly to the purpose Of the act.
The commission consists of the see
Rotary Of war, the secretary Of the IN
terror, the secretary Of agriealtuBsss
Senator'S GalHnger. OF eW Ham9sdlEss
Smith, OF Maryland, and RepreseH1e
tives Lee. Of Georgia. and Hawl@y. -
Oregon.