The Delta independent., 1913-10-10
CHIEF FORESTER IMPRESSED
BY coLoRADo'S RESOURCES

Paying a tribute to the grandeur of
Southern Colorado's scenery and pos
sibilities for industrial development,
Chief Forester Henry S Graves out
lines the result of his recent trip
through Colorado forests as follows:
My trip to Southern Colorado has
brought me into personal touch with
number of national forests which |
have not before had an opportunity
to visit such as the Leadville, San
Isabel. Cochetopa, Uncompahgre and
Batt!ement. The purpose of the trip
is both to acquaint myself with local
conditions and to see the progress of
the work which is being carried on.
NO one travelling in the mountains
of Colorado can fail to be impressed
by the grandeur of the scenery. AS
on this trip we were in the snow most
of the time, the beauties of the noun
tains We're intensified many-fold.
can only emphasize the more what
said in my address before the Denver
Chamber of Commerce abouty the ne
cessity to open up these areas by
roads TO make the mountain wonders
available both to the citizens of the
state and to visitors from other states
and other countries.
The trip emphasized to me further
the absolute necessity TO protect the
mountain forests from fire. Every
where one sees the immense destruc-
tion by old fires which occurred be-
fore the national forests were estab-
lished. The loss to the people by the
destruction of timber alone through
these fires runs into the millions of
dollars and the effect of this on the
Industrial development is difficult to
estimate. Aside from the timber prob
Fem it is absolutely necessary to have
rover on the steep slopes OF the noun
tains to conserve water resources. 1t
is unnecessary to point out the impor-
tance TO the people of Colorado OF
maintaining ever. safeguard which af.
fects the supply and steady flow OF
water Every announcement should
be given to the development OF reser
voirs for irrigation and power. Such
reservoirs aid in stream regulation
aside from their importance in build
ing up industry. But the forests ex
ert also a powerful influence in water
conservation. and their destruction is
/ followed by direct injury.
zone of the problems l have been
considering in the present visit &c
| Colorado is the progress of develop
ment of resources in the forests. The
purpose of the forests is to make theil
Resources render the greatest possible
service in the permanent upbuilding o.
the country The aim is to make theil
resources available to as many people
as possible They are not reservation
/ locked up from use. nor are they area:
/ to be handed over to a few people
I for special privileges, to the exclusion
of all others. For the development
of the forests people are needed to us'
the ripe timber and the various othei
resources. We want permanent set
tiers TO occupy such agricultural lanC
as may occur. to have the utilization
of the ripe timber result in buildins
up permanent lumber businesses herr
and there in the forest, to contribut'
( to other industrial enterprises, anC
to have the use of the mountain for
age maintain in a stable condition th'
stock industry. This is at the basis o
the classifying of the agricultural land
4 in the forests. This work il
now being pushed in several Of tn,
forests to the extent Of the funds av
ailable. visited the land classified
tion party in the Uncompahgre nation
al froets and had occasion to observ,
agricultural areas that had been ap
piled for and taken in the Cocheeop,
forest"