Show Forest Service Has Golden Anniversary With this Issue of ot The TI T-I Q U David Hansen Forest Ranger for the La Sal National Forest Is collaborating with t this his h I s newspaper In the preparation of ot ofa ofa ota a series of articles on the history his his- tory tort and current events In connection connection con con- with the La Sal National Forest which Is celebrating a Half Century along with the U.S. U.S. U.S. U. U S. S Forest Service The Grand Valley Times of Moab the forerunner of The Times Independent Independent published the following news Item on D Dec 1 1905 News reports from Washington Washing ton say the La Sal Mountains will wm be a forest reserve rese in the future This will be of great benefit in the long run though it may Immediately effect a few leY adversely The water I supply depends on maintaining the fo for ests The matter of cutting Urn tire ber will t then n come ome e entirely under un un- under der the l I ve of a government govern go ment meat officer as well as aJi the amount ol of stock to be ranged therein The Grand Valley Times Moab Utah February 1 2 1006 1 The government has created treated creat treat ed a Forest Reserve on the tho La Ja Sat Sai covering acres The rhe timber on the he mountains will be subject now only under special p penn permits Us The reserve do does not interfere with mining or of prospecting but the cutting of cI Q timber even for mining min big ing purposes is a matter of government regulation than tt when not a reserve The La Sal National Forest was established iby toy Presidential proc on Jr January nuary 25 1906 O. O C. C Williams was WM the first ranger Continued on Pa Page e 4 Forest Service from Page 1 I The news reports In the Grand Valley VaHey Times began earlier with recommendations by toy President Theodore ore Roosevelt followed by byan byan an act of ot congress President Roosevelt In his recommend tion stated Forest work of ot the government should be ibe concentrated concen concern In th the e Department of Agriculture where problems relating to the growth from Irom the soil are ate already gathered and where all the sciences auxiliary to forestry are at hand for prompt and effective co opera co-opera- opera Congress on February 1 1905 passed an act transferring the Forest Reserves from the Depart ment of Interior to the Department Depart ment of Agriculture and renamed the Bureau of Forestry The Forest Service Gifford Pinchot then the first chief forest lorest er en Pinchot ot and a few men proceeded pro without delay to open all the forests to regulated use Aletter Aletter A Aletter letter to him from roon the Secretary James Wilson Is a classic classic- In prophetic thought Its ending phrase phrase and and where conflicting Interests must be reconciled the question will wUl always be settled from the standpoint of the greatest great est good of the greatest number in the long Jong run This Is the basic law which has guided the National Forest work through the past 50 ye years rs February 1 1955 thus became the Golden Anniversary of the National Forest Service and of The TheLa La Sal Forest Reserve 1954 La Sal Forest News During the 1954 season the following following fol lowing is the report of grazing of lIvest livestock k on the lands of the theLa theLa theLa La Sal Sail Mountains under tinder pay permit Stock raisers grazed some 2712 cattle for row cow cow months sheep for far 2237 sheep months For the use the livestock livestock live livestock stock owners owners paid to the Treasurer of the United States In addition to grazing use ItIs Itis it itis is estimated that deer spend an average of nine months on forest lands Timber sales for 1954 amounted to approximately approximately This consisted of Df mina I props lops posts pasts poles Christmas trees and Irrigated lands in the of Moab oab aL Sal and Castle Cas tle tie Valley in Utah and Paradox in Colorado received VItal vitally y important Important Im water from the watershed lands of the La Good fishing waters vaters are limited limit ed but this sport together with the excellent deer hunting provided provided pro pro- vided recreation and food to thousands of sportsmen The frantic search for urani urn oil and gas potash and othen other oth er en valuable minerals has re re- suited in approximately three three- fourths of the forest lands toeing leased and staked Only the barren peaks rem remain ln unoccupied The future of the La Sal Na Forest will be a re rededicated re-dedi re dedi dedicated to the concepts of the greatest good of the greatest number In the long run |