Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1917-01-08
Classification
Gives Permanence

Ao IcbulI VI ldHu CldooliiSotiOh
work, more than eight million acres
were eliminated from the national
forests in the last fiscal year and, in
addition, over LOO individual tracts
within the forests we're made avail
able for homestead entry, according
to the annual report of Henry s.
Graves, chief of the Forest Service,
which emphasizes the necessarily per-
manent character Of the national for
ests, and points out the importance
of definitely determining the status
of the land which the forests con-
tain.
"The national forests" says Mr..
Graves, "are gaining in stability
through the land classification work
It is important for the general public
to know what lands are to be re-
tanned permanently by the govern
ment and what lands will be avail
able for agricultural settlement. The
whole forest enterprise is based on
the assumption Of permanence. All
the work is conducted with view to
constructive development of the prop
erty and its constantly increasing use
fulness.
Every timber sale is made with a
view to future consequences. The
work of protection from fire is not
only to prevent the destruction of
standing timber but to save young
growth and encourage the natural
production on lands which have been
injured by previous abuse. Millions
of trees are established each year
which will not come to maturity for
very long time. A regulated sys-
tenn of grazing looks to the upbuild-
ing of the forest range. as we'll as to
its present use, and the investment
of public funds in extensive improve
ments Is predicated on the perma-
nence of the government enterprise. y
The need for consolidating land
ownership where government and pri-
vate lands are interlocked is pointed
out by Mr.. Graves. Congress has, he
states, already authorized an ex-
change of lands on the Florida, the
Oregon and the Whitman national
forests. Under the same policy eX-
changes have been or are being negot
tiated with South Dakota. Montana,
Idaho and Washington for school
lands in the national forests located
in those states. The consummation
of three of these exchanges now
awaits final approval by congress.
Other measures which will have a
far-reaching significance in relation
to the permanence of the national
forests, says the report, are the ap-
preparation by congress at its last ses-
sion of ten million dollars for the
construction of roads within the for
ests and that of three million dollars
to extend the national forests in the
eastern mountains by purchase "The
appropriation for the construction Of
roads will permit the opening up of
regions heretofore inaccessible, will
greatly increase the use of the re-
sources in the forests, will shorten
lines of travel across the states and
between communities, will stimulate
prospecting and mining in mineral
regions and will aid community up
building,
"The Importance of having public
forests at tho headwaters of impor-
tant streams has been recognized and
greatly emphasized through the ap-
preparation of SS,O00,0O0 for con-
tinued purchases of lands begun un-
der the so-called Weeks law. The
work of establishing these forests has
been started under the most favor
able auspices, and its discontinuance
would have been peculiarly unfortun-
ate. With the new appropriation the
purchases may now go forward with
a view to blocking out and extending
the various units"