The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1915-05-24
Member of the Associated press.
MONDAY, MAY "a, 1915.
AFTER MORE FOREST LAND.

The American Forestry association
will urge the next congress to appro-
pirate $1O,00O,O 900, for use at the rate
of 100000 a year, to continue the
purchase of land in the southern APP
palachians and White mountains as
federal forest reserves. 1t is most i'm
portant that the money be set aside
for this purpose. 1t means much to
the future of the whole Atlantic sea-
board to have several million acres of
non-agrieultural land, from most of
which all merchantable timber has been
removed, held in reserve under govern
ment ownership, protected from fire
and disease and perpetuated as produc-
tive forest land. All through New
England and along the southern APP
palachians there is a very strong senti-
ment in favor of continuing the pur.
chase of these forest growing lands
The present appropriations for the
purchase of lands in the southern APP
palachian and White mountains will
cease with the fiscal year, that is on
| June 80, 1915. There is now available
for further purchases about $1,OOO,000,
which sum will be sufficient to carry
the work to near the end of 1918. The
area approved for purchase by the Ma
tional Forest Reservation commission,
or already acquired, is 1,1S6,000 acres,
the average cost of which has been
slightly over five dollars per acre
with an additional expense of approx
imately 60 cents per acre for apprais-
ais, surveys, title examinations and
supervision, 1t is estimated by off
cials of the forest service that with
the remaining one million dollars
enough additional lands can be pur-
chased to bring the total to more than
j. 100000 acres, with an average price
not exceeding six dollars per acre.
The secretary of agriculture in a
report to congress in 1907 recommended
the purchase of 100000 acres in the
southern Appalachians and 100000
acres in the White mountains. The Ma
tional Forest Reservation commission
in its last report to congress strongly
approves of that recommendation, III
fact adopts it as its working program
and recommends 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 II years labored to secure the leg
islation embodied in the Weeks law
which permits the requirement OF
these n-agricultural lands as forest
reserves. It has closely watched the
execution of the law under the Ma
tional Forest Reservation commission
and the department of agriculture il
the last five years and the results
which have been accomplished demon
strate fully the wisdom of the pro
gram which has been undertaken. Fur
thermore great good is being accom-
plished in putting the purchased lands
Immediately under administration sc
that they can be protected from fire
and fully utilized as national forests.
In view of the achievements accom-
plished in this way of purchases and
in the administration of acquired lands
the American Forestry association con
siders it appropriate to give full sup
port to the National Forest Reserva
tion commission in its recommends
ton to congress for appropriations al
the rate of two million dollars per year
for further period of five years. Thi;
program will be actively urged at the
next session of congress-