The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1923-04-26

Ef OIkEC IA HUN ana pIOttC
ton of forests from fire proved
N to be a most interesting theme
at the weekly luncheon of the
board of trade yesterday, and the for
NAL action taken by the board is de-
signed to initiate a campaign that
will result in the adoption of a fixed
and effective forest policy by the
state of Idaho. Practically everybody
agrees that such policy is necessary,
and yet when it comes to a question
of taking positive action toward es-
tablishing it, interest lags on the part
of the public and conflicting opinions
develop among those who are active,
with the result that nothing has been
accomplished toward preserving this
great resource of the state. Forest
protection and preservation was the
special order of the meeting yester-
day, and the feature of the discussion
was a brief address by Donald A.
Callahan, chairman of the forest pro-
lection committee of the board Of
trade. Mr. Callahan referred to the
bill introduced in the last session of
the legislature embodying a forest
policy in the state, prepared with
great care, and yet when it came up
in the senate only seven votes were
recorded in favor of it. It's failure was
not due to additional expense to the
state, but rather to. the rivalry. jeal-
ousy and selfish interests which made
an agreement impossible. Mr.. Gala
han referred to the great legacy in
public land given the state of Idaho
by the federal government for the
support of its schools and other state
institutions, about one-third of which
was timber land. OF this latter the
state still has about 100000 acres of
land covered with merchantable tim
Der remaining valued at s30,000,000.
Little of this land has agricultural
value after the timber is removed, and
unless provision is made to reforest
the land this great asset will in a
few years be disposed of and future
generations will have been absolutely
robbed of their legitimate legacy. The
speaker referred to the experience of
older states and nations which have
continued this wasteful policy until
they found themselves Invested of
timber resources. Idaho will event.
ually be in the same condition unless
definite steps are taken to perpetuate
the forests. Mr.. Callahan closed his
most interesting address by offering
the following resolution, which was
unanimously adopted;
Resolution.
whereas by proclamation of the
president of the United States and
the governor of the state of Idaho,
this week has been set aside as for
estry protection week, for the purpose
of awakening the people to the i'm
portance of protecting and preserving
our great forest resources, and
whereas the state of Idaho
grants of the federal govern
ment, is the owner in trust for the
support of public education of hun
dreds of thousands of acres of valu-
able forest lands, which are held for
the benefit of this and succeeding
and upon their preserva-
ton and renewal depends to large
extent the educational advantages
which the children OF this state will
enjoy in future years. and
Whereas the state of Idaho, not
withstanding it's large holdings of
timber land and the fact that this
great resource constitutes a trust for
the benefit of succeeding generations,
has not at the present time, COM
prehensive and adequate forest sup
ervision. protection and reforestation
policy. and although attempts were
made in both the sixteenth and sew
enteenth sessions of the Idaho legis-
lature to enact comprehensive fores-
try laws. jealousies, distrust and sell
hshness on the part of various in
terests in the state succeeded in both
instances in defeating the measures
offered, and
whereas it is the opinion of this
board of trade that the present laws
relating to forest preservation and
fire prevention in the state of Idaho
are wholly inadequate and the fire
warden system Of supervision is in
effectuaI and that a movement should
be inaugurated among the people OF
this state generally looking toward a
definite and comprehensive forestry
policy to preserve and renew for the
state the great timber resources
which. under the present policy will
be absolutely exhausted in the next
and that all commercial
women's clubs, school,
county and city officials and all or
ganized bodies of men and women
throughout the state should be en-