The French Broad hustler. [volume] (Hendersonville, N.C.) 1896-1912, 1911-04-06
BUY MOUNTAIN LANE.

Henderson And Other Counties Il
Make Prices on Timbered Land fOl
Park Preserve.
Washington, March 28.-The De.
partment of Agriculture has just an
nounced that it is ready to begin look.
ing to the purchase of land by the
National Forest Reservation Commits.
sion created under the Weeks law.
This law was passed with special
reference to the creation of national
forests in the Appalachian and White
mountains, Under it the Secretary OF
Agriculture is to examine. locate, and
recommend to the commission such
essary for regulating the flow of nav
igable streams.
The law is not restricted to partic-
ular regions, except that lands may
be bought only in the States whose
Legislatures have consented to the
acquisition of land by the United
States for the purpose of preserving
the navigability of streams. The
States which have already taken the
necessary action are Maine, New
Hampshire, Maryland, Virginia. West
Virginia. North Carolina, Tennessee,
0OuIu Carolina anu G0OT&1ds AZ
A blank form for the offer of lands
accompanies the circular just issued.
Additional copies of this form may be
had by writing the forest service at
Washington. The kinds of land which
will be considered for purchase, if
they lie within the designed areas, are
set forth by the circular as follows:
Timbered lands may be bought
either with the timber standing on.
them or with Reservation by the own
er of the right to cut the timber n
der certain rules to provide for per-
petuation of the forest. These rules
will form a part of the agreement for
the purchase of the land. Since,
however, the government cannot pay
high prices, it is not regarded as
probable that much land bearing a
heavy stand of merchantable timber
a be bought. Culled and cut-over
lands may be bought, as well as land
covered with brush which is useful for
watershed protection, burned land,
and abandoned farm land, whether
cleared or partially or wholly covered
by young timber growth. Good agri-
cultural lands will not be considered.
Owners may reserve the right to re-
move valuable mineral deposits which
are known to exist.
NO EXHORBITANT PRICES.
Proposals will be received for small
as well as for large tracts, although
small tracts Ear be examined only
where the purchase of a considerable
total of land in the same neighbor-
is under consideration. With re-
gard to the price which can be paid.
Secretary Wilson indicates that the
of the commission will be to
make the money available go as far
as possible. For the most part" he
says, W shall have to buy cut-over
lands or lands without much mer-
timber. / want to make it
plain at the start that l shall recon-
mend this class of land only when it
is offered very cheap. Proffers of land
at exorbitant prices will not be con-
sidered.
"The lands acquired by thef gov
eminent will be held as national for
ests. They will be protected from fire
and the growth of the timber will be
improved as. much. as possible. The
lands will not be game preserves. but
will continue to be open to the public
LII huhIAAS anu hoA1nS III dCCOIu dACO
with the laws of the State in which
will be available for the public under
conditions. Another point
l wish to emphasize is that we
are not going to take from people
their homes in order to put the lands
into national forests" O.
The areas within which offers of
land are desired are set forth in de-
tail in the circular of the forest SER
vice. The approximate location of
these areas is as follows, although
Secretary Wilson warns those wish
ing to offer land that they should first !
the s~ircular in order to see
whether their holdings fall within the
more detailed areas therein indicated:
In Maryland, a portion of the wes-
tern part of Barrett county.
In Virginia, parts of Shenandoah,
Rockingham. southwestern Warren,
western Page, northern Bedford, cas-
tern Botetourt, southern Rockbridge. ,
southern Washington, Smyth and
Wayne counties and eastern Grayson
county,. -,
In West Virginia, parts of Pend'e-
ton, Hardy, Randolph and Pocahontas
counties:
In Tennessee, parts of northeast
erni Johnson county, Cooke, Sewer,
Blount and Monroe counties.
In North Carolina. parts of Wilkes,
Caldwell, Watauga, Bdncombe, Yam
cey, Mcdowell. southwestern Mitchell,
Swain. Jackson, Henderson,
Pennsylvania, Macon, Clay, Cherokee
and Graham counties.
In South Carolina "a part of Oconee
county.
In Georgia. parts of Rabun, Haber-
sham and White counties.