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Show DESTRUCTION OF THE FORESTS. Grava Canteqaencei Which My Remit from Their Denudation. The reservations which have been ceded by the Chippewag in this state t- the government embrace the heaviest white pine forests now availablo aa a source of lumber supply. These forests are largely contributory to the retention of the moisture which feeds the streams and lakes that make the sources of the Mississippi river. Already there is much said about the great commercial value of these pine lands, and there is not the slightest doubt that as soon as the region is opened by the government the work of destruction will commenco which will speedily lay bare the soil and subject it to the drying influence of the sun and wind, or to the forest fires, which will kill everr young growth which appears and destroy even tree seed which ha been borne there by the winds. The result re-sult of this will be the diminution of the sources of the supply of the Mississippi, which will be felt by every water power company from Itasca to Fort Snelling. These are grave consequences, and the question is: Shall the denudation of this new region be allowed to go on without some regulations as to cutting and forest renewal? Thore would seem to be a good opportunity oppor-tunity to bring to bear the world's ex- perienco in forestry. This reckless deforestation de-forestation will bring temporary gain to the lumbermen, but it will ultimately ruin 'h ater power " interests along" the river. This is inevitable. In Franco whole communities were ruined by the destruction of forests, and the govern-, ment has found it necessary to enter" upon the work of restocking about 800,-000 800,-000 acres with trees, and over $4,000,000 has been' spent remedying the serious evils resultant from reckless denudation of land. That government is spending nearly 51,000,000 a year to continue tho good work. 1 It should not be forgotten, in this connection, that the destruction of tho forests will also remove a sheltering influence, and change our climate to one of sharp and sudden variation of temperature, temper-ature, causing successions of sudden thaws and sudden freezings, injurious to all plants and vegetation. Every reserve of timber in this country coun-try ought to bo sacredly guarded by the government, and timber cutting be put under stringent regulations, looking to the continued protection of theBtreams. Unless thii is done the Mississippi river will surely change its character. It will become a shallow, sluggish stream, unable to carry off impurities, and useless for navigation and for water power. It will not take very long to effect ef-fect this charge, cither, if the forests are destroyed in the northern part of the state, A present gain in lumber will mean very great injury to all other material ma-terial interests. Minneapolis Journal. |
