Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1922-04-17
FOREST PROTECTION week WILL
Be OBSERVED THROUGHOUT THE
United States STARTING TODAY
Forests Play An Important Part in the Eco
nomic Condition of the Country; Week to
Be Featured By Intensive Campaign to Ac-
quaint America With Need of Woodlands.

ests and, even then, the list is long
| Paper pulp for one-a single item
| to conjure withdrawal stores, al
cohoi and many more chemicals
through wood distillation, tan
bark, edible nuts and fruits, fuel
wood, many oils and gums, medici-
nal products and so on.
Tho most important function of
forests after forest products are
considered is that of stream con-
troll, conservation of water supply
and the prevention of erosion.
Much could be said in this field
but the mere mention of each of
the above factors starts train OF
thought that may carry one far.
Floods, the great devastators Of
civilized communities and works,
one Of the least comfortable of all
natures upheavals once under
way, are largely the result of for
est destruction and, conversely,
are comfortable and preventable
by proper conservation of ground
cover, chiefly forests.
Insour own west, in New Mexico,
many irrigation projects derive the
bulk of their water from forested
areas and the slow seeping of this
water from the forest floor alone
makes life possible in these dry
regions. Prevention of erosion Of
steep mountain slopes by the forest
roots which knit the soil to the
rocks beneath, thereby reducing
the burden of silt carried by
streams, is a great benefit to all IL
rigation works. Water, checked in
big dam like Elephant Butte,
drops it's load of silt and the filling
OF such dams with soil, and the
consequent reduction of their wa
ter capacity Is q serious problem.
The great western grazing indus
try depends, in large part on for
est regions to supply much of its
grazing grounds. While not con-
directly to the supply of
feed, forests have associated with
them many edible species of
grasses, herhaceous plants and
shrubs which are utilized by graz
ling livestock.
Forest readily occupy land too
rugged to be suited to agriculture
or any similar use. hence, ii is eco
nomically necessary that the many
millions of acres of true forest land
in the United States be kept fully
stocked and productive. In this
feature, again, forests vindicate the
reason of their being, namely. pro-
ducing crop on land untitled for
cultivated crops.
Forests to certain degree,
modify climate; certainly. at least,
do they modify temperature, es-
pecially the extremes of heat or
cold. One reason people seek for
ests in summer for recreation is the
cooler temperatures always pre-
vailng in timbered areas. due to
limited measure to the forest itself.
Along similar lines, forests act as
windbreaks and thus plan an i'm
portant part in agricultural prac-
tice in regions where forest and
farming lands are closely related.
Another great field in which for
ests affect human beings is that
of recreation. Whenever one thinks
of recreation, Of a vacation, either
the occansidC or the mountains are
usually considered. The mountains
mean the forests or woods. An
nuallv the stream of recreation
seekers heads in uncounted thou
sands TO the forested regions of the
country, east and west. Most of
the great national parks are in
forest regions The national for
osts attract hundreds of thousands
each year from Canada to the Mex
lean line. Fishermen during the
summer and hunters in the fall
flock to the forested sections for
their favorite pastime and recre-
alton.
Forests. then, supply material
for great industries. numbering,
minor forest products, grazing;
make life possible in arid regions
by conserving water supply. and
similarly, preventing erosion and
floods generally in all regions;
make economic use of rough lands
unsuited to other crops, and pro-
vide recreation grounds for the ma
ton.
This is the why of forests. OBJ
viously. they must be protected
against forest fires which would
utterly destroy them. Forest fire
prevention is therefore of tremen-
dous importance to every citizen Of
this country.