The Coconino sun., 1925-09-04

0f their labors with such recommen-
dations relating thereto, having for
4 their purpose the establishment of a
permanent policy for handling the
public lands of the state"
j On the basis of this report, which
was exhaustive and statesmanlike, a
state land policy was passed in 1915
! by the second state legislature and
known as the public land code of the
state of Arizona" This code con-
tanned among many wise provisions
for administering state lands several
very progressive provisions relating
! to forestry and forest management of
Its timber lands. In the title of the
/ act or code the purpose is stated
among other things to cover tease,
sale and other disposition Of the state
lands and of the timber and other
products thereof" Examples of for
estry provisions in the code are:
Sale of state. lands: "Sec. AS -*****
provided, said lands are not such as
are prohibited by law to be sold; and
provided that no lands containing tim
Der of such value that it should in the
/ opinion of the commissioner be sold
separately from the said land, shall
not be subject to sale until after said
| timber shall be sold, and no lands
chiefly valuable for the production of
saw-timber shall be subject to any of
the provisions of this act, relating to
| the sale of state lands.
Products Of Land: "Sec. T6-Rules
land Regulations: Except as otherwise
therein provided said rules and regula-
Itions for the care, sale and admins
itration of said timber and timber
products, shall conform as nearly as
may be, 10 the rules and regulations
lof the forest service of the United
States department of agriculture
"Sec. 77-Limitation of Timber
Contracts: No contract for the sale of
timber shall exceed five years in term,
nor shall more than SO million feet of
Timber be sold to any one individual,
association or corporation, at one sale,
nor shall any sale be made or con-
tract entered into with any person, as
sociatlon or corporation while such
individual, association or corporation
has under sale or contract more than
five million feet of timber sold under
the provisions of this act.
Sec. 7S--University Timber Ac-
count Fund The expenses incurred by.
the commissioner for the sale, care
and other administration of timber or
timber products, upon lands granted
for university purposes, shall be kept
by the commissioner in separate ac-
count and said expenses shall be a
funds.
Tfespass on State Lands: "Sec. ST.
Definition and Punishment: Whoever
knowingly and wilfully commits
trespass upon state lands, either by
cutting down or destroying any timber
or wood standing or growing thereon,
or by carrying away any timber or
wood therefrom, ****** or negiigpntly
or wilfully exposes growing trees,
shrubs or underground standing on the
state lands to danger of destruction
by fire, or aids or abets any such tres
pass or injury shall be, deemed guilty.
of a misdemeanor and upon convic-
ton thereof shall be fined not less
than $50 or more than $500 or pun
ished by Imprisonment in the county
jail not more than six months or by
both such fine and Imprisonment. ~
Cooperative Agreement
Prior to the adoption by the legis-
lature of a state land code, the land
commission largely through Milford
Winsor, its chairman, had taken up
with the district forester's office at
Albuquerque, N. NJ, the question of
cutting OF timber on these university
lafids. Located as they are inter-
mingled with government timber and
private timber occupying government
land Climber cutting rights having
previously been secured by local COM
panies on railroad sections later re-
conveyed to the United States under
special agreements) and numbering
operations being in progress, the state
realized the opportunity of putting
some of its merchantable timber on
the market. There followed CO.
operative agreement between the Aii-
zona land commission and the secre-
tary of agriculture which. was APP
proved on January Is, 1914. This
agreement is still in effect and has
therefore passed through its tenth /
year, with consequent changes in gov
ernors and personnel of state land
commissioners. This agreement be-
tween state and the federal govern
ment covered the practice of forestry
on ceFtein state lands and contained j
feattffes unusual at that time and un-
usual now.
Some Provisions of the Agreement
After the usual legal phraseology at
the beginnings Of such documents, the
starts off with a detailed |
list of the lands affected and quota
tion of the act under which tie state
land commission is authorized to ham
die these lands, and then follows with |
a list of the specific things each party |
to the contract agrees to do.
The secretary of agriculture through |
the forest service and the district /
forester agrees to:
l. Furnish to the land commission
the rules and regulations of the seere-
tary of agriculture for the admins
tration and use Of the national forest I
lands.
2. Furnish the commission copies
of fire plans for adjoining national
forests.
3. Advise the commission as to
proper care Of said state lands and I
forest service timber sale contracts.
a. Examine. upon request, these
lands and report on their