Show 1 1 I i Enforcement 1 of Government Forest Policy f K I and How It Works Out in hi Ut Utah Uth H Reserves 1 p 1 r rIL J d R 4 fia k x i iI 1 I II wit 3 i t tf s r f t tp Od tIr tI J tj i m F l ii I I 9 r 1 i 7 1 i Y Jj I t 4 f Y Jo J r JJ i id 11 j it 1 J Y d II m if t y s sy dt J ii J x i k t tf f f fl t tH t Y w f H r f l i iI y J Jp p f I Ii I a u t 3 l g e T YE t i lad t v ti it ox N t w r s i iI ia my X I G a 1 R y yR R 1 y yx f x i VE a i L Lt Y Yr t r h Workmen cultivating seed beds of th i mw q y Brighton summer resort among the tho 4 Douglas I Fir In the lath house In the 2 i tot N g t az t loft lofty Y peaks of the Wasatch range Wasatch planting station Salt Lake w df f a k 1 1 one of the most picturesque spots of national na tl ona I forest f ores t A WK t H m F it t c x a fw iL J a J i WIt 3 3 a i m Mf C b 4 x the th e Salt S a It Lake L a k e national na t lona I forest f ores t Garfield Reserve Increased Governor Cutler has received a 0 proclamation from the president 0 t a announcing the setting aside of 0 i o E 1 O 0 square miles In to Garfield coun county counS county S ty to be Joined to the forest re 0 4 S serve sene recently created there thereBY j o S eee BY R E BENEDICT Chief Inspector of the Fourth Forest District The Tho radical change from practically unrestricted enjoyment of the range Y and timber on the tho public domain to the control and regulation now exercised by the government on those thoRe portions portion n which have been placed In the national forests could not fall to result in a very vcr large amount of opposition on the part of the western people It is remarkable that there has lias not been more But the conditions which led to the establishment of the lice national forests namely the annual destruction of bil billions billions billions lions of feet of valuable timber the acquisition of vast tracts of timber timberland timberland timberland land by the big lumber companies the rapid deterioration in III the range result resulting resulting ing from overstocking it and the set ser serious se ious lous iou effect of the denudation and over overgrazing overgrazing grazing of Important watersheds on the water supply as Ill shown by br the larger spring and smaller mailer summer flow of wa water Water ter tel in ht the streams had already con convinced convinced convinced vinced thinking people In the west that some sort of control and protection was necessary and ancl these thes heartily approved of the federal forest furest policy As the management of the forests hRS has become more practical and efficient and the beneficial results more moro evident the policy gained the hearty heart support df r almost all the time people dependent on a forest or in any way by its administration and I believe bell e I am safe in saying that at tho the present time there Is no one who is thoroughly familiar with the question outside of the big timber companies and the very veo large stockmen who is not convinced of the wisdom of the policy polley provided of course that the forests are given a practical administration without favor favoritism and with a n full consideration of local conditions Salt Lake Reserve For example I have never neer met any anyone anyone one who did not asree aree a ree that the creation of the Salt Lake forest here covering the watersheds of the streams supply supplying supplying ing the city has not proved a wise ac action action action tion The main object of this forest Is the tho protection of time tile city water water supply and Mr Kelsey tho the city engineer tells me that since its creation the flow of the streams has materially Increased and the quality wonderfully improved Any one ono who has noticed the heavy hea growth of grass and other othor vegetation which now covers the City Creek wa va and arid who has seen the bare slopes of the mountains where grazing Is not prohibited will 1111 understand why this Is T so 80 Besides Bes los tho opposition to national for forests forests I ests of ot the big timber companies and large stockmen who really rea II cannot be greatly blamed since they tho are aIe only looking out for their own interests there are many man men who consider that the forest policy is opposed to the con constitution constitution constitution and un the principles and traditions traditions traditions of ot our government and Ignores the right of the state since the crea creation creation creation tion of a forest practically takes from the state so 50 much land To these arguments arguments arguments ments I can ran only reply that all of the eastern astern states at tes which possessed any Rim ber her lands would have hao been richer to today today today day by b almost unbelievable sums had their timber lands been reserved In Other States New ew York has found It necessary In to protect Its timber and the Hud Hudson Hudson Hudson son watershed to establish forest re reserves reserves serves containing about acres and to do so 80 it had to pay pa from 5 to 20 per acre Pennsylvania Is actively buying forest lands to form a great system of state forests and already acres have been for the purpose Wisconsin has acres Minnesota acres In state reserves Connecticut New Jersey and Indiana are arc also buying back lands which should have havo been retained from the be beginning beginning beginning ginning The conditions in the pine re regions regions regions gions of Michigan Wisconsin and Mp j may also be cited of what h has s 4 I I II I ii P V S 5 t I II I I 5 I II I j jI jI t oa 4 fi err Fc a a cw v r t tF ta a F a r q a r a w i i v s Y Qa I r I i a fF f 1 i V e N Mt ss Y Ewa y ar N i A ac m JR aw Cultivation of plants at Wasatch S In the foreground transplants ol of planting at station The tree in the tho Douglas Fir 1 I year old In back background foreground is between 50 SO and 75 RAY ground transplants western Yellow YellowPine years ears old Pine f 1 year old Valle Valley of Big Cot and will occur if forest lands are not reserved and managed by the govern government government government ment In these states there are mil millions millions millions lions of or acres of lands now barren and unproductive of any weal which If It they tile had been reserved and cut over under the th direction of the tho government would now be producing several hun hundred hundred hundred dred million feet of lumber annually The southern states Kentucky Ten Tennessee Tennessee Georgia North Carolina South i I Carolina Virginia and West Vest Virginia are today petitioning congress to cre create create ate a reserve of four million acres cov covering covering covering ering the Appalachian mountains merely m rely to protect the valley valle lands which every ceo year ear suffer to the extent of upwards of a il million dollars from destructive floods The rho floods flood which last spring did so much damage to Pittsburg and Cincinnati were caused without any possibility of a doubt by bythe bythe bythe the denudation of the mountains by b lumbering fire and clearing steep land for firms farms i The Manti ManU Forest While the conditions which exist exi t in inthe inthe inthe the east are hardly applicable here I might say that the Manti forest in III San Sanpete Sanpete pete county count was created at instance I of the town of Manti which had suf suffered suffered suffered severe svere damage from front the floods in Manti canyon canon These floods resulted from thunder storms in summer ummer and not from front melting of snow in spring The rhe policy may be against the principles principles principles ples and traditions of our government but this to me me appears a minor point when the importance of protecting our limited supply of timber and an our water supply which is so valuable in the arid and region la is considered Almost e every fJ one agrees that some sort of protection Is le necessary ar and the tho only question is how howit it can best bo ho done One Ono method suggested is i for the na national national national forests to make a grant to the states of all Its Us timbered and mountain lands in need of protection The to this scheme and they the come from western men are that to the frequency and ease with which state administrations change it would be practically impossible to maintain a definite policy in the administration of these forests The disastrous experience of most of the western states In the ad administration administration administration ministration of their th lr own land is an indication of the objections to adminis administration adminIstration administration of the forests by the states Matter of Longevity It is 18 claimed by many that If the for forest forest forest est lands are arc allowed to pass into private private private vate ownership which would mean con control control control by lumbermen and stockmen the Interests of the community and state would be sufficiently protected by the selfish Interest of the owners the Idea being that the owner would be be Just as anxious as the government to keep his property In the highest state of productiveness productiveness This would be he true if a man lived Jived as ao long as the government but he does not and It is apparent that sooner or later Inter the private owner would sacrifice a possible future profit to tha needs of the present Another objection to this ton tonY tonI S I I Y v a ai i x I w v firs firsS S i C 5 i s a 1 x xo e SS o V SSi i ia te F Ft I I I t Z t Illustrating an attempt to reforest a hill hili to promote a water supply for Pocatello Idaho system arises from the great variety ofIn of ofIn interests In rests which arc are dependent in some someway way w upon the protection of the forests and water supply Very rarely would the interests of the owner and depend dependent ent industries coincide and some read readjustment readjustment readjustment to protect the more important Interests would be necessary Thus the city of Salt Lake Ike was w s forced In order to protect Its water supply to pur purchase purchase purchase chase at great expense the lands on its watersheds owned by stockmen and farmers farmer Thinks Practicable It seems seems to me therefore that the plan adopted Is the most practical and expedient and the one which will prove wisest in the end In the first place the government already owns the land and in the second It is in a far better position than the states or any private owners to render efficient administration tion The states corporations or indi individuals Individuals individuals engaged in such management are inevitably hampered by personal or political ties From this embarrass embarrassment embarrassment embarrassment ment the federal government is com comparatively free and it can better see to it that the greatest benefit to the greatest sr number Is attained In spite of what faults there may be bein bein bein in the policy as established and the possibility that congress may change It ft the government Is going ahead ener energetically energetically in the execution of its forest policy and while It is yet et too 00 early to Judge that policy fairly fairly the things ac actually actually actually accomplished and the increasing support given by b the people affected are very encouraging and go far to prove that thai no mistake has as been made In the administration of If the UC forests many difficulties have of off course c hc c n encountered and many man S criticisms and arid complaints received The hE I I latter have nearly all been perfectly Just and reasonable and were wore to be ex expected expected expected In hv an organization so 80 new and which had to work out each problem as asit asIt asit it arose lit order to appreciate this feet fact the history of ot the forest service should be known First Firt by Cleveland nd The fhe first forest was wall proclaimed by President Pr Cleveland in 1891 and a few more in the immediately succeeding years but congress made absolutely no provision for their administration until 1597 A small appropriation tion about Sl OOOO if I remember correctly was then made and time the of the i In Int n t was empowered ed to expend it in inthe Inthe Inthe the management manaSr ment of the reserves The rhe necessity however of a practical pr ad administration administration ministration on the ground by men familiar fa familiar familiar with western conditions and the thereal thereal thereal real object and purpose of the reserves re was tas as not Appreciated and their admin administration by this department was a n failure Then early in 1905 congress trans transferred transferred transferred the care of the reserves to the department of agriculture and created the forest service r to take charge of thorn The real history of the admin administration adminIstration administration of the tho national forests may therefore be said ito to date from that I year oar In the Beginning I It At t that time lime the area uca cf of the forests I d to about 6 acres es and und this area was waa administered d by fifty tiny I supervisors The greater number l of these men had been appointed for or po political political reasons without reference to for the th nd the first work of ol the tho new now was Vas the inspection of their work and the weeding out of those who were in incompetent Incompetent incompetent competent Of or the fifty thirty were dropped and new men mostly rangers thoroughly familiar with the conditions 01 of tho the forest and In hearty sympathy with the policy of the service were ap appointed appoInted appointed pointed in their place Then the regulations regulation governing the administration of the forests were found to be they were thoroughly revised resulting in the issuance I of the Use Book The first one was issued on July 1 I 1903 and alj al although although though It was WJ prepared prep with extreme care so FO great grent has ha been the tho advance in method and so numerous the changes In policy polley to meet now new conditions that It has been twice revised since then th m mand and another will be necessary on the first of next July Jul The object of each revision is to make the regulations con conform conform conform form better to the general policy polley which stated briefly is 15 to have the ad administration administration administration ministration of each forest f rest yield the greatest benefit to tho the greatest number and yet keep all the resources of the forests in the highest state of production production tion In National Forests During luring the three years since the ad administration administration administration ministration of the forests was turned over to the forest service a total of acres have been created na national national national forests forets forc ll by the president mak making making making ing a grand total at the present time of acres all of oC which has been een placed under administration as soon oon as created There are now supervisors under whom are are about 1400 rangers rangers These men arts are all under the civil service and have been appointed appointed only after an ex examination examInation examination t to too determine their training and ana mee anti and a probationary wood Wasatch planting station period of six months actual service to prove the aptitude of each for the work I can confidently assert that for knowledge of mountains timber and grazing independence of If character loyalty to the tile government faithful and conscientious con service this body of men has no equal In the United States Tile salaries are arl low the work full of hardships hard hardships ships and almost alm st wholly lacking in social so dai cial advantages and the men have ta taken taken ken up the work because they liked It and have adopted It for a life profession profession profession sion Work of Service In regard to the work which is being done by these men They are protect protecting ing ini In from destruction by fire ad a d su |