The Alaska daily empire., 1922-01-12
NATIONAL FOREST ROADS.

The tentative road construction program for Ma tional Forest districts of Alaska announced in The Empire yesterday by District Forester Flory contains encoua cement for not only the sections of the Territory in these operations be launched but also for Alaska in that every part of the Territory will benefit by the building of the roads planned All of Southeastern Alaska, the Prince William Sound districts Seward and Kena Peninsula are be directly benefited and other sections, in directly, will reap some of the benefits
 MT Florys statement that funds appropriated by Congress were aside for developing such regions in every possible way" is timely. He might have gone farther forth the basic principle underlying the appropraton of funds by the Federal Government for the Forests effect it is this; Congress recog- nizes that as long National Forests in the undeveoped common to those in Alaska they contribute nothing to the general good of the com monwealth in which they located They are not taxable and present bring in substantial revenue To offset this money is therefore advanced from the Federal treasury take the place of the taxes the might the forests in priv ate owner ship however, specifically limiting the of such funds to expenditure roads and trails which serve the purpose of developing the Forests aiding com munities which are wholly or in part dependent upon these Forests for their prosperity
 That this is accurate statement of fact is borne out by application by Congress of the principle public land states in the Federal Highway Act ap- proved November 8, last year. This law carries the Forest Fund covering Mr. Florys road program. In that Act special provision is made for extended participation in road building by the Federal Govern cooperating with the state governments, the Federal Government undertaking a share propor- ticnate the of unapproprated public lands i'll such states No provision made for Alaska in this section of the Act but in the Forest Fund section Alaska is specifically included. Congress is hardy likely to divert this fund to any other purpo-e matter how mertorous it may be.
 All of the projects receiving allotments from the ElIu1 In jncta l a construction of such roads will promote the prosperity of communities which they touch and aid materially in the development of the of the Nation Il Forests The districts in which these locate |, unfortunately, have not been given heretofore the recognition which they justly entitled in tle matter of roads. The Empire is disposed fad fault with anyone for that, recognizing that road money for Alaska has been all too limited to IT the vast expanse of country which it had to he spread The fact remains undisputed, however th [ these sections have been sorely hampered in thcr development through lack of roads That this nee IS in large measure to be overcome is indicate ] by MT. Fory's announcement
 Glacier Highway may be taken a fair examI a of the roads to be constrfed by the Forest Servie Although in it's present uncompleed stage it is tt little more than twelve miles in length few if in fact any roads in Alaska today carry the traffic th passes it. II is true that a considerable por T of the travel in the summer months is largely tour but much of the all-year traffic that which s been built up from daries truck farms and the eanneries it touches By completing this to Eagle River farming district of much value I become accessible to Gastineau Channel markets th will consume the various crops which it is alrea y proven can be successfully grown there Another cannery will have land outlet to aid in its oper tions and boost be given prospecting in ! vicinity of Eagle River and beyond When the } ia established far Eagle River it will be Cf the most attractive tourist roads in the North traffic, not only tourist travel, but n classes will be many times its present volume. From both standpcints. that of developing the of the Forests and assisting in the growth of a community dependent upon forest development, Glacier Highway meets the requirements had in min ! by Congress when it made provision for the Fore Fund in the Federal Highway Act. The other prolec for which provision is made undoubtedly {, ? same requirements.