| Show this subject as attracting considerable interest ill over the country not onla ii it the them of our in congress but the press from one end of this broad land to the other is exerting its the government in enking some steps towards the preservation of our noble forests the first t tep says the garden and forest in the effort to provide for the conservation of the forests on the national domain should be abo withdrawal from dale of all forest lands belonging to the nation it will not bo necessary to preserve and maintain all these forests por but the extent of forest territory which will bo required by a practical plan of forest preservation and management for our western mountain regions cannot ba at once precisely determined ter mined A thorough examination of theas regions and of tho abric agric country depending upon them for its water supply will be necessary n order to show what forests must bo retained and what tracts of timber can be put upon the market without injury to the important interests involved until such an examination has been mado none of the forest lands now belonging to alie united states should be sold i the second step should bo to commit to the united states army the cire and guardianship of the forests belonging to the nation there is in time of peace other work of national defense or protection so important as this which ahe arav can perform and it is plain that under existing conditions the forests on the national domain will not be indeed cannot be adequately guarded and protected by any other means the measures which have been tried including thoss now in operation or nom inelly in operation havo proved almost entirely the forests on the public lands are pillaged by settlers and by the employees of railroad and minina companies without scruple or limit other inspru menta will have to be employed if the forests arc to be preserved their corn biste and final destruction with that of the soil which sustains them is under the present system or want of system only a question of lime aad of a very time alie officers of the united states army are educated by the nation for its sei vice and they constitute a body of men not equaled by adv other in our counte in equipment for guarding and protecting the great forest regions belonging to the nation they possess evera bind of fitness for this work in greater decd de cd than any other class of men and if authorized by law to undertake this service they would have the power and the means necessary tor its performance everybody else is at inevitably powerless and incapable aa there is likly to be very little work for the army hereafter in tho care or the indians it will be available for abia service of guarding alie national for eatn rho work can be done well by tho army and it would cost nothing or very little while any other plan would necessarily be both fineu estivo and costly tiia and defense of bation H forests by the tinny of the nation should be continued and maintained aut il n number of adequately trained and equipped foi eitore lias been provided by the national for the administration of a complete and j permanent system and policy for the management of tho forests oil tho public domain this brings us to consider the third step this should be alie appointment by alie president of a commission to make a thorough examination fai the condition of tho forests belonging to the nation and of their relation to the agricultural interests of the regions through which the streams flow which have their sources in these forests and to lepor t with the facts observed a comprehensive plan for the preservation and man fi gement of the public forests including a system for the training by the government of a sufficient number of foresters for the national forest service the commission should determine forests on tho public domain should permanently preserve dand in what mariner the remainder should be disposed 0 the national forests can be so managed eliat they will be perpetually petua lly reproduced and will yield forever an abundant supply of timber for the inhabitants of the adjacent country and a revenue which will more than sustain the cost of alie forest service A national school of forestry should be established at a suitable place in one of t the great mountain forests on the nubile land and its equipment should bo as thorough and adequate for its purpose is that of the national military aca deev at avat point |
