Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1911-03-30
Lack Of Transportation Facil-
tiles the Greatest Bar to
the Settlers
NOT FOREST RESERVES
Hundreds Of Thousands of Un-
occupied Acres Inaccessible
In Olympic Peninsula

There is no question which is more
heartily debated in this state than
that of forest reserves 1t may De
quite true and again, it ma! not.
that the Nation at large has made
I'D it's mind that conservation is the
true policy, but the Nation at large
has not in this instance the say which
otherwise it might have; the condl-
tions being that the greatest reserve
of timber left in the country is that
existing in the Northwest There
fore, the state of Washington is moro
yitally concerned in this matter than
is any other state and its utteranceS
must be listened to with respect by
the nation in general. 1t is declar-
ed that the forest reserve means the
barring out of the people from the
lands which might be profitable IT
used agricuturally and which are OF
no service to foresty as such. This
is but one of the many aspects put
is one which is of grave moment 10
the state.
The greatest reserve of timber in
the state is that of the Olympia Pen
insula. which includes Clallam, Jef-
ferson, Mason and Chehalis counties,
all west of Puget Sound, lying be-
tween it and the sea.
Now. the area of this section OF the
country containing the best or It's
timber amounts to 44,SS1.12o acres.
which includes about ooO.Ooo acres
which does not tOpO2raphlcaiiE he-
long to the peninsula but which Is,
nevertheless, an integral part there
Of
One of the largest of the national
forests which is reserved in the states
is therein. Its area is upwards OF l.
$50 acres. There are. in addl-
ton, other Indian and military re-
serves amounting to 22o,OOo acres, or
a total reservation of some l,ooo,ooo
acres. This is the land which IS
said to be debarred from use by The
people AS matter of fact, lano
that is truly agricultural, even with
in forest reserve, may be as readily
homesteaded as outside. There are
actually over 100000 acres of logged
over and burned.off land which are
better situated and more suitable IN
every way for farming than the lands
in the forest. The area of private
timber lands on which the timber is
actually standing is 100000; Of un
improved lands, 100000 acres; OF
state lands, 267,OO0 acres. That is
to say that the state lands, added to
those owned privately. whether cover
ed with timber or cut over or burn
ed, equals more than half OF the
main peninsula. The facts are that
only $4,000 acres of this have been
taken up by settlers and improved
The reason is not far to seek II
is simply that. west of Puget Sound,
transportation is difficult, Puget
Sound itself forming the Western
terminal lines and having salt and
fresh water anchorages open to the
sea, available for export trade. But
on the far side of the Olympia PENN
sula, whether upon the Straits OF
Juan de Fuca or whether upon the
Pacific ocean. harbors are either lack
ing or. at all events. cannot compare
with the magnificent anchoraees OF
Puget Sound itself. Hence, there is
a difficulty in marketing produce and
the land so far. has not been settled
upon. 1t is indeed land OF Goshen
to the enterprising pioneer, but It
cannot be said that settlement is de-
barred because of a national forest
reserve.