The Winslow mail., 1925-03-06
Our Conservation Policy and
the Sitgreaves Forest

Clifford Pinchot now Governor Of Pennsylvania,
one-time leader in the establishment OF the policy oil
this government in conserving It's natural resources,
has defined conservation as the application or COM
mon sense to common problems for the common
good
The early settlers Of the United States destroyed
forests from necessity Later generations destroyed
them from habit. This wasteful practice continued
from the time of the founding of the colonies to the
last decade of the nineteenth century, even though
European nations had many centuries before realized
the value of their forests and had put in operation
plans of conservation which maintained their forests
while giving the inhabitants the privilege of supply
ING themselves with necessary lumber fuel and other
forest products German forestry dates from the
time of Frederick the Great and German forests
IN an excellent state OF preservation, although during
all those years they have supplied the peoples needs
and been a constant source of revenue.
In the United States the division of forestry was
created in 1880 under the department of agriculture
and in 1901 reorganiZed the forestry service
which now has entire charge of the government for
ests The service, as whole has been very efficient
Some of the people have the impression that con-
Iservation means making NO USE, of our resources
to allow the resources to lie idle until some future
tme-to rot away and depreciate from non-use.
Navajo county is confronted possibly for the first
time IN its history with serious twist of the conser
vat1on policy Of the government in regard to the pres
ervaton Of the forests the effects of which may be
farreaching and, according to some authorities dis
astrous 1t in regard to the Sitgreaves forest lying
north of the Mogolon rim westward from the lower
center Of Apache county, the southern portion
of Navajo county, and extending into Coconino.
The forest covers an area roughly thirty miles
wide and more than a hundred long. 1t contains,
according to government appraisal more than three
billion feet of merchantable TIMBER and government
appraisals always made from rs to 81 per cent
below actual cruising figures, that it is safe to say
that the timber contains at least four billion feet and
may contain great deal more.
The recent order of sale of the Deer Springs unit
of the Sitgreaves forest which sale will be made to
the highest bidder in May June of this year, states
that the timber shall be cut at the rate OF not more
than 100000 feet per year.
According to the prospectus of sale, published IN
full in The Mail on January 16 forestry officials
state the intent of the department to be to permit the
cut to proceed at the rate of 80 million feet year over
the entire area which would take seventyfve years.
and at the end of that time reforestaon would permit
second cut and at the end of another seventy-five
years third cut, and so on providing for PERNlA-
NENT cut of timber in this forest. However, the
officials estimate the extent of TIMBER in the national
forest and privately owned to be in excess of three
billion feet, and number of men who are in posi-
ton to know state that there is in excess of FOUR
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