The L'Anse sentinel., 1923-04-13
Indian Richest
of Americans

organization for the efficient admin.
istration Of Indian timber lands. Al
that time 100000 was appropriated
for forestry work IN the reservations
In the meantime there Is no doubt
that large part Of the forest wealth
of the Indians was dissipated. Since
1909, however, the forestry branch of
the Indian service has been building
up an efficient system of administer
ing timber lands In accordance with
the basic principles Of the science of
| forestry. In 1910 congress authorized
the sale of mature green timber for
the first time. 1t then became possible
not only to protect the Indian timber
lands from fire and trespass, but also
to derive from the forests an income
that has financed much Of the recent
general industrial development on In
dian reservations.
The Indians w altogether 1000
600 acres of comm rcial forests in ad-
dition to large adjacent areas Of
woodland; the two classes of land in
bined areas Of Massachusetts, and
Connecticut. The mature timber
standing on these lands Is estimated
at 35,000,000,000 feet with value of
about S100,000,0OO. 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
lfornla, Idaho and Minnesota.
The handful of Klamath Indians in
southern Oregon, who are the great
timber lords of the aborigines, own
about S,000,00O,0OO 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 $25,000000. AS there are only
LIS Indians, including few
Piutes and Modocs associated with
the Klamaths In the ownership Of this
timber, a klamath Is worth in timber
alone nearfyNS NS25, 900 and is entitled to
rank with\theS Osages and other pluto
cratic Indians Of the oil land reserva-
tions. 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-
portlonately valuable.
Since the establishment of the In
dian forestry service In 1910 the Indian
lands have been administered accord
ing to policy of reconcillng 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 1t 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 I'm
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 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
ber is generally disposed of to con-
tractors through competitive bids, the
contractor removing the timber him
self under the supervision of and ac-
cording to the regulations Of the In
dian forest service.
Most Advanced Forestry Practice.
1t 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 Nc. 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