Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1921-04-29
BUY FOREST LANDS
is LEGISLATIVE PLAN
Two Bills to Provide Funds for
Tracts in Villas County in
Region Of Trout Lake
Forestry Camp


nent operation, and with regard to
limitations imposed by the supreme
court and the financial condition OF
the state. They will provide funds
to enable the conservation commits
sion to begin such work as it is pos
sible to carry forward in reforestra-
ton and fire protection.
One measure directs the public
land commissioners to transfer to the
state conservation commission for
state park, forest, game farm, and
forest nursery, the area in central
Villas county on which the ranger
stations. lookout towers, telephone
lines and constructed roads and
trails. This area formed the nucleus
of the fire prevention system of the
old forest reserves.
The lands on which this equip
ment is located are school lands, I'M
der control Of the land commissioners
and well adapted by location and ex-
tent for a state forest and wild life
refuge. A sum Of $4,000 will be pro-
yided to acquire this tract When
the lands are appraised and trans
ferred such amount as is necessary
for compensation will be transferred
to the school fund
The course to Nbe followed in &C
curing this tract will be similar
to that employed by the 1919 legis-
lature which directed the state land
commissioners to transfer the site of
the tuberculosis camp at Tomahawk
to the state board of control. For
this transfer an appropriation of $1O,-
00b was made.
There is little question as to the
right of the legislature to direct the
purchase of the Villas county tract,
as it is a part of the lands purchased
by the old state forestry board from
funds raised by a general tax levy.
For this reason, it is assumed the
e6fslature has the right to direct
what disposition shall be made Of the
lands, though under the forestry de-
csion they passed under the guard
| ianship of the state land commission
ers
Such lands as these could be rein
stated year by year in a state forest
reserve on payment of appraisal value
| to the school fund An appropriation
of $4,000 or $4,000 annually would
operate to reclaim them for forest re-
serve purposes.
The Villas county headquarters is
| selected as the site to begin opera
lions because the supreme court de-
cision and other circumstances indi-
cate that any purchases should be
made in that area. The supreme
held that the creation of a forest re-
serve is constitutional exercise OF
the police power, SO long as the
means employed are not unreasonable
or oppressive.
AS land is set aside by the legisla-
ture, provision will be made for it's
classification, and agricultural lands
will be thrown open for sale to bona
f1de settlers in areas not to exceed
100 acres to each settler
The bills introduced this session
will be restricted to the requirement
of lands now owned by the school
| fund 1t is held to be doubtful il the
state can go further until the consti-
tutional amendment to permit state
forestry is ratified. This amendment
must go through one more legisla-
ture and then be voted on by the
people,
A second bill will appropriate to
the conservation commission annual
/ ly $4,000 to operate the Trout Lake
| forest nursery in Villas county, whence
will be inaugurated free distribu-
ton of young trees to school boards,
/ farmers and other land owners not
| planting under supervision of the
| conservation commission.
This sum will enable the state to
raise several million young trees each
year. A similar plan has been tried
successfully in the eastern state. In
New York and Pennsylvania, as many
as 100000 trees have been distrib-
uted in single year for private re-
/ fnroc q flor,
The commission asks for $4,000
for fire protection activities of which
| $4,000 will be spent on state lands
and $4,000 on other lands. A bill
has been introduced vesting in all
employees of the conservation com.
mission the authority of fire wardens
1t is believed that this measure, cou.
pied with the present laws under
which all town chairmen are fire
wardens, will afford an organization
adequate to meet fire danger
In conjunction with the emergency
fire fighting act it will provide a
method by which from eight to fiji
teen fire wardens can be called into
service in each county at any moment
The plan also involves the close CO
operation of game, fish and forestry
interests and besides being econom