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Show I FORESTS ASSURE I PURE WATER Washington D.C June 4 Secretary Houston has Just approved an agree I ment between the Department ot Ag-I Ag-I rlculture and the town of Safford, Arl I zona, by which the Forest Service and I the town will cooperate to conserve I Safford's water supply, which comes I principally from the Crook National Ht Forest. L This Is the IateBt one of many agree ( ments. According to the figures of I the Forest Service thcro are nearly I 1,200 cities and towns in the west I which derive tholr water supply from I lands within the National Forests. I Where these cities desire it tho gov I ernment Joins hands with the citizens I for the purpose ot maintaining a per-I per-I manent and pure water supply. Stock raising for example, or other occupancy of the land which ordinarily ordinari-ly would bo encouraged, would ue inadvisable in-advisable on a watershed which fo.ms a source of drinking wator. Tho Forest For-est Service recognizes that water is hs necessary a commodity for wooded hillsides to supply as are sawlogs or mine porps. A watershed area may offer on opportunity to furnish the greatest benefit to tho largest number num-ber through supplying an unpolluted source of water for domestic purposes. pur-poses. Contracts like that Just made with Safford are now In force with Cascade, Cas-cade, Colorado Springs, Durango, and Mlnttou In Colorado; Salt Lake in Utah; and Baker City and The Dalles, Oregon. Tho famous Dull Run watershed, water-shed, which supplies Portland, Oregon, Ore-gon, Is on the Oregon National Forest. Tho cooperative agreement In each case provides that the lana may not bo used without approval by the town, except for tho protection and caro of the forests. Tho Government agrees to extend and Improve tno forestB by seeding,, planting, and forest for-est management, bo far as the funds for that purpose are available. Tho city, for Its part, assists by pnylng the salaries of additional guards necessity necess-ity to carry out tho agreement, and contracts to bear tho greater part of tho cost ot any improvement work which it considers Immediately desirable. |