The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1914-07-07
THE APPALACHIAN
E

june JOIn anu 1Ilit.
The movement to have the Federal
Government acquire large sections Of
the Appalachian Mountains has for q
long time attracted much popular in
terest. Now that the government has
begun to take over these lands at q
rapid rate the interest of the public
goes beyond the mere acquisition and
q itself with the important
question of how these lands are to be
developed and used and what innu-1
cnce the change liz ownership Is TO
have on the local people, on the re-
gion and on the country. These QueS-
tons being both new and important
deserve very careful consideration.
10 this reason purpose to discuss
certain phases Of them at this time be-
lieying that i'm this forestry meeting
no subject Of greater importance could
command our attention.
Ny discussion will be in the nature
Of swe to certain questions that
are now being asked very frequently
in relation to the governments own
ership Of these lands. To be sure,
We nave not gone very far with this
work and our Swe must be con-
sidered as tentative only. They will
not suffice for five years from now.
They convey only the best infOrma-
tion we can give today and describe
the plans which we now ave in mind.
The non-agricultural lands of the
Appalachian Region are very extern
sive. South OF Pennsylvania in the
various mountain ranges there are
some twenty-three million acres not
suited to farming. 1t is not to be
conceived that funds will ever be
available for acquisition of this entire
area by the United States or that our
needs will ever Justify such extensive
purchases. Al-that we can expect
is that the government will acquire q
marion nnrhnn nc "a rn1attyn1U small
portion OF the region. 1t is for US
who have in hand the inauguration
~ Federal purchases to select the
principal areas for the government to
acquire.
Several important considerations
emphasize the wisdom of the govern
ment's acquiring lands in a number of
localities rather than in one or two.
The main purpose of the laW-the
protection of the watersheds of the
important n~avigable streams-can
only be accomplished in that way; the
influence Of the National Forests can
more effectually be extended to the
entire region and more constant and
satisfactory progress in purchases can
thus be made. The purchase areas
should not be so far separated that
any portion OF the region is beyond the
influence and benefit of at least one.
Information was at hand to enable
Ms upon the passage of the Weeks
Law at once to designate a number of
Purchase Areas. Eighteen such areas
nave now been selected in the South
crn Appalachian comprising 5,368,723
acres, and all purchases are limited
strictly to these areas. AS is shown
on the accompanying map, the pur-
chase areas are on the headwaterS Of
important ~navigable streams, they in
clude portions of the principal noun
tain ranges, and they are distributed
throughout the region. .
Within fifteen purchase areas lands
have been approved for purchase as
follows:
Cherokee, 124,134 acres; Georgia,
5s.S65 acres: Massanutten, 62,9O7
acres, M~onongahela, 36,8S7 acres; Mt.
I Mitchell, 53.771 acres; Nantahala, 49,
973 acres: Natural Bridge, $3.50
acres: Pisgah, $1,000 acres; Potomac,
1856 acres; Savannah, 93,2O6 acres;
Shenandoah, 122,634 acres; Smoky
Mt. 59,213 acres; Unaka, 16,464
acres; White Top, 63,154 acres; White
Mt, 1882 acres.
Purchases should go on within each
of the purchase areas until enough
land has been acquired to be ecOnomi-
cally administered. to be influential in
protecting the watersheds upon which
the area is situated and to serve as q
demonstration of forest conservation
and as a center from which cooper.
atioH may De extended In the proper
protection and handling Of privately.
owned timber lands. AS a rule from
one hundred thousand to three hun.
dred thousand acres should be owned
by the government in each of the pur
chase areas. II in the future expert
ence shows the necessity for the gov
eTnment owning larger tracts, tn,
areas are so situated that this may b,
accomplished by extending the pur
chaSes.
1t Is also probable that additiona
purchase areas will be found neces
sary.
How The National Forest Will BE De
vclOpcd and Used.
The cardinal principles underlyin,
these as all National Forests will b
e. development and use. Hitherto tn
Appalachian Mountains have bee
used without developments; used de
structively. The main purpose Of tn
Weeks Law, the protection OF tn