Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1923-06-02

dition to large adjacent areass Of
woodland; the two classes Of land In
Guiding an area larger than the COM
bined areas of Massachusetts, and
Connecticut. The mature timber
standing on these lands Is estimated
at $4,000 100000 feet with value Of
about $1OO.OOOOO0. The Indians own
forests Of commercial Importance In
fifteen states, but the most extensive
holdings are in the far western states.
Oregon is at the top Of the list Of
Indian timber states, followed in rela-
tive order by Washington, Montana,
Arizona, New Mexico. Wisconsin, Cal
fOrnia, Idaho and Minnesota.
The handful Of klamath Indians in
southern Oregon, who are the great
timber lords Of the aborigines, own
about 8yOOO,OOO,OOO feet of merchant
able timber standing in one Of the
finest tracts Of virgin timber, largely
western yellow pine, In the whole Of
the United States. At present stump
age prices this timber is worth at
least $25,00O,O0O. AS there are only
1,178 Indians, including few
Piutes and Modocs associated with
the Klamaths in the ownership Of this
timber, Klamath is worth in timber
alone nearly $4,000 and is entitled to
rank with the Osages and other pluto
cratic Indians of the oil land reserva-
tons. Down in the southwestern cor
ner Of the United States the Indians
Of the Fort Apache reservation have
probably the finest body Of timber in
that state; and back In Wisconsin the
Menominee reservation Chippewas
still own billion feet Of hard and
soft timber, which is recognized as
the finest timber remaining in that
state. The Indians Of Minnesota own
some of the finest stands remaining Of
eastern white pine, which is now near
ing commercial extinction and is pro-
portionately valuable.
Since the establishment Of the In
dian forestry service in 1910 the Indian
lands have been administered accord
ing to policy Of reconciling forestry
principles with the present economic
interests Of the Indians. The reserva-
ton forestry problem is not just the
same as that Of the national forests,
for it must be remembered that the
Indian forests are private property
Of the Indians held in trust for them
by the United States government.
Many Of the Indians, too, own their
lands in individual allotments; and in
such cases their timber is held for
them from much the same point Of
view as an individual white settler
would take. If the land is adaptable
to agriculture the cutting is clean
and without a view to reforestation.
On the other hand in the case Of the
tribal forests the idea is to reconcile
the need Of immediate revenue for
the owners with assurance Of future
value of the property, and here the
principle Is one Of perpetual lumber
ing. Only mature trees are cut, and
provision is made for protecting young
trees from injury during logging oper-
ations and for the cleaning up and
burning Of debris Of logging. The tim
Der Is generally disposed Of to con-
tractors through competitive bids, the
contractor removing, the timber him.
self under the supervision Of and &C.
cording to the regulations Of the In
dian forest service.
Most Advanced Forestry Practice.
It is the boast Of the Indian forest
service that its regulations governing
logging operations, promulgated in
1920, represent as advanced state as
has yet been made in American for
estry practice anywhere.
An illustration Of the public or what
might be called the white mans in
terest in the Indian forests, Is found
in general regulation No. 10, which
provides that in the discretion Of the
officer Of the Indian forest service, in
charge, "a strip not exceeding 300 feet
in width on each side Of streams,
roads and trails and in the vicinity
Of camping places and recreation
grounds, may be reserved, in which
little or no cutting will be allowed"
This provision assures the main
tenance of scenic values on the In
dian reservations.
Notwithstanding forestry regula-
tons, some Of the largest timber sales
ever made by the United States gov
eminent and at the highest prices
have been made Of Indian reservation
timber in the last ten or twelve years.
Five sales have amounted to approx.
mately 5OO,OOO,OOO feet each and
dozen others have exceeded 100000
600 feet each. Large units Of yellow
pine have been sold on the klamath
reservation at $3.50 per thousand feet,
and on the Flathead reservation in
Montana at $3.50 thousand. White
and Norway pine of inferior quality
on the Nett Lake reservation in Min
nesota have sold at $16 and $13.65
respectively, and in a recent sale of
nearly half a billion feet on the
Quinaielt reservation in Washington,
western hemlock brought the unprec-