Show LARGE tAit AREAS S fRO fROM 1 NATIO NATIONAL IL fORESTS Will BE 8 RESTORED TO PUBLIC DO mm ol it WASHINGTON WASHINGTON Feb 15 The The exam exam- nailon on of national forest boundaries boundaries' carI cared car- car I ed on by the forest officers last sum- sum finer and fall faIl upon the Initiative of Sec Sec- rotary V Wilson and under his direction has resulted In new Information which c make it possible to restore to the unreserved public domain much land along the edges of and within forests that Is not best suited to forest pur pur- poses This Is to be done under it 11 plan I Just approved by President Taft The plan was formulated by Secretary WilI Wll- Wll I son and Secretary Jointly and submitted to the president In the following following fol fol- lowing letter The President White House Hous House After After having considered the matter of eliminations from and additions to the national forests we wo respectfully recommend recommend recommend mend that the following general policy be adopted S Protect Water Supply k S 1 Lands Lends wholly or In part covered with brush or other undergrowth which protects or checks erosion on the watershed of any stream Important to Irrigation lITigation or to the water supply of ny city town or or community or open lands ands on which trees may be e grown should d oge be retained firne within the n national i forests unless their permanent value under cultivation is greater than their value as a protective forest 2 Lands wholly or In part covered with timber or undergrowth or over cut-over lands ands which are more valuable for the production of trees than for agricultural agricultural tural ural crops and lands densely stocked With young trees having a a. prospective value greater than the value of the land landor for or agricultural purposes should he e re retained retained re- re tamed within the ilie national forests 3 3 Lands not either wholly or In part covered with timber or undergrowth which are located above timber line Une within the forest boundary or In small bodies scattered through the forest making makr mak- mak areas ing ng elimination which r are Impracticable necessarily i l ein included included or limited 1 for fora a proper administrative boundary line should Mould be retained within the national forests 4 Lands not either wholly or In part covered with timber or undergrowth except except ex ox- as provided for In the tho preceding paragraphs upon which it Is not expected to o grow tow trees should be eliminated from the national forests JAMS JAMES WILSON Secretary of A Agriculture R n A. A BALLING BALLINGER ER Secretary of the tho Interior M More ie re Farms and Pastures A definition of the lines along which action should be taken was called for forby forby forby by the fact that reports and maps are arenow arenow arenow now In the possession of the department of agriculture which show the character of the toe lands and the cover along the lines of oC the national forest boundaries The e purpose of the d department In securing securing Tn Pf nd ing this Information a n was to make a possible possible ble a correction of the boundaries on the then principles I S now approved by the president president dent n for SIt It ng has never i bee been Intended that t I the national forests should include agricultural agricultural agri agri- cultural land or grazing land not suitable for forest purposes Plans for gathering the data were drawn up under Secretary Secretary Secretary Secre Secre- tary Wilsons Wilson's direction fl p. t year ago and andI Instructions c 0 for going over the tor or miles I of boundaries were Issued t to the national forest officers last May As a result the boundaries can now be more carefully corrected than has ever before been possible On the whole the changes which are found to be called for are of relatively minor Importance but In their aggregate they open to settlement a a. large amount of land The application of the rules which the president has approved will mean the early restoration to the public domain of acres or more of or national na na- na- na forest land This Is something over 2 per cent of the total national forest forest for for- est eat area Three-tenths Three of the forests have yet to be mapped Some Dry Land Farms Some of the land Is 15 suitable for dry dryland dryland dryland land agriculture though the greater part partis is grazing land In I Idaho which l has a large national f o dror forest t tI area about b 4 00 acres cent s Is will tillable be I eliminated Eliminations l of which hl In h hs s similar 34 nR per percent percent proportion will be made In a a. number of the other western states have large amounts of or land in national for forests |