The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1915-06-07
PURCHASE OF FoRESTLAND.
At Rate of 100000 a Year is Recon-
mended

The American Forestry association vii
, urge the Congress to appropriate So
. 100000, for use at the rate Of $4,000 90
n year, to continue the purchase OF Ian,
in the southern Appalachians and Whit
mountains as federal forest reserves. |
- most important that the money b.
set aside for this purpose. 1t means
much to the future of the whole Allan
tic seaboard to have several million
acres of on-agricultural land, from
most of which all merchantable timber
has been removed, held in reserve un,
der government ownership, protected
from fire and disease and perpetuated
as productive forest land All through
New England and along the southern
Appalachians there is very strong SEN
timent in favor of continuing the pur-
chase of these forest growing lands.
The present appropriations for the
purchase of lands in the southern APP
palaehian and White mountains viii
cease with the fiscal year, that is on
June 30, 1918. There is now available
for further purchase about 81 100000,
which sum will be sufficient to carry the
work TO near the end of 1915. The area
approved for purchase by the national
forest reservation commission, or already
acquired, is l,ls6,0O0 aces, the average
cost OF which has been slightly over
So per acre with an additional expense
of approximately 60 per cent per acre
for appraisals, surveys, title examina
tions and supervision. IL is estimated
by officials of the forest service that
with the remaining one million dollars
enough additional lands can be purchased
TO bring the total to more than LOO.
600 acres. with an average price not ex-
eeeding So per acre.
The secretary OF agriculture in a re-
port TO Congress. recommended the pur-
chase of 100000 acres in the southern
Appalaehians and 100000 acres in the
White mountains The national forest
reservation commission in its last report
TO Congress. strongly approved Of that
in fact adopted il as
its working program. and recommended
that Congress extend the appropriation
for purchase through a further period Of
five years at the rate Of two million
dollars per year
The American forestry association for
eleven years laborcd II secure the legis-
Iation embodied in the Weeks law. which /
permits the requirement Of these non
agricultural lands ~ forest reserves. II 4
has closely watched the execution Of the I
law under The national forest resersa-
ion commission and the department Of
agriculture in the last five years and the
'esults which have been accomplished.
fully the wisdom Of the pro-
ram which has been undertaken. Fur. j
hermore. great good j. being accom-
'lished in putting the purchased lands
under administration 80
hat they can - protected from fire
md fully utilized ~ national forests.
In view Of the achievements accom-
Ilisbed in the way - purchases and in
be- administration 81 acquired lands the
american forestry association considers
, appropriate - give fun support 20
he national forest reservation commits
ion in it, recommendation g. Congress
~ appropriations 81 the rate al tHo
1illisn dollars per vesr for further
eriod IF Eve veaFs This program Sin
n act sslv urged - the neat session #
onFress