The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1926-10-15
STATES FORESTRY
PROBLEM GIVEN.
SUPERVISOR RICHEY OF THE
SUPERIOR NATIONAL FOREST
OUTLINED A POLICY TWO
YEARS AGO-HOLDS GOOD AT
THE PRESENT TIME.

est, chairman OF the COMMITTEE on
demonstration of the Minnesota
Arrowhead Association expressed
his views on REPRESENTATION before
meeting of the Association. The
situation has not changeg and the
arguments presented then are Just
as valid and vital today. He said:
"The counties Of Cook, Lake, st.
Louis, Koochiching and Itasca con-
tain 100000 acres, of which less
than 10 per cent is in farms. On
more than 5000, 900 the cover is tim
Der or nothing, the greatest possible
advance in agriculture, mining and
recreational development will leave
the major part of these 100000
acres unused for generations to come
Unless it is so handled to produce
successive crops of timber it is ap-
parently headed for tax delinquency
with all the accompanying burdens
upon other productive property
which such a condition entail. Por-
tions of Michigan and Wisconsin ex-
hibit the condition in more advanced
form. The rehabilitation of the for
ests of Northeastern Minnesota is
therefore a matter of the greatest
concern, which becomes constantly
more pressing.
"The first requisite is fire protec-
ton, which although far from COM
plete, is making steady progress
1.-THE second necessity is the Gre
alton of conditions which will enable
the owners to devote their Land to
the production of forest crops with
a reasonable assurance of ultimate
profit. Tax laws which recognize
the long time investment and the de-
ferred returns inherent in the pro-
ductio of timber crops must be en-
acted. Constitutional Amendment
No. failed at the last election and
must be resubmitted.
"At best it cannot be expected
that all present owners of cutover
or timbered land will be able to hold
it for future timber crops, even with
better fire protection and fair taxes
Such long time investments are not
suited for many classes of owners.
When every reasonable encourage
ment has been given to private and
corporate owners to engage in for
estry there will evidently remain
great areas of the least desirable
land which only some governmental
agency can restore to maximum tim
Der production. The field is large
enough for the United States gov
eminent, the State, counties and
towns.
"At present the United States
owns and administers some 100000
acres in the Superior National For
est, amounting to about two-thirds
of the gross area within it's bound
aries. The State of Minnesota has
about an equal amount in North
Eastern Minnesota, one half admins
tered as state forest lands by the
state forest, the remainder not
specifically devoted to forest pro-
auctions, under the administration
of the state auditor. Most of the
state lands are too badly scattered
to be efficiently handled and consol-
idations ought to be made by pur-
chase and exchange. If, or when the
counties have considerable areas
which have reverted for non-pay-
ment of taxes, the opportunity will
be presented to consolidate such
holdings by exchange, to form county
forests capable of being admins
tered. Purchases by the federal or
the state government are likely to
be at low prices, which will not en-
courage speculation. The sooner they
are begun the sooner the lands pur-
chased will be put on the way to pro-
duction. The longer such purchases
are deferred the greater the read
justment of social and economic con-
ditions which they entail. The
method requires the acceptance of a
low price by the landowner, the ces-
sation of efforts by town, county
and state to secure taxes from it, and
the investment of a considerable
sum by federal or state government,
in protection and administration
which cannot return revenue until
it produces saleable products.
'The problem of idle lands is
greatly increased by the occurrence
of scattered farms, schools, roads
roads and other developments. Rec
ognized the rights Of individuals to
live where they please, it is never.
theless very desirable to direct
settlement toward the best land and
to foster the establishment of ,m-
munities in which the unit costs of
government are public funds far out
of proportion to any advantages
which their isolated location afford.
County commissioners may carefully
consider the propriety of refusing
the establishment of new towns, if
they promise to increase the cost CT
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