EDITORIAL 



What the Weeks Bill Is for the examination, survey, and ac- 

 quirement of land on the headwaters of 



WE HAVE been asked to give a navigable streams, or those which are 



brief outline of the provisions of being or may be developed for navi- 



the so-called Weeks Bill, embodying the g-able purposes. This expenditure is to 



present form of the Southern Ap- be made by a commission consisting of 



palachian -White IMountain National the Secretaries of War, of the Interior, 



Forest project. The full text of the and of Agriculture, two senators, and 



bill was published recently in this mag- two representatives, which commission 



azine, and has been issued as bulletin jg to report annually to Congress. The 



No. 3 in the general series of the Amer- Secretary of Agriculture is to examine, 



ican Forestry Association. In the lat- locate, and recommend for purchase 



ter form, single copies can be obtained lands which may be necessary to regu- 



by application to the office of the Asso- i^te the flow of navigable streams and 



ciation, and they can also be obtained report to the commission, but before 



in large numbers for distribution. Many any purchase is made the Geological 



people, however, desire an explanation Survey must have made a report to the 



of the bill stripped of the verbiage of Secretary of Agriculture showing that 



its legislative form. the control of such lands will promote 



In the first place, it gives the con- or protect the navigation of streams 



sent of Congress to the states of the on whose watersheds they lie. Prices 



Union to enter into compacts to con- of lands purchased are to be fixed by 



serve their forests and water supply, the commission, and the consent of the 



and it appropriates $200,000 to be used ^tate in which the land lies must 



by the Secretary of Agriculture to as- have been given to the acquisition of 



sist any state or group of states when such lands by the United States. Min- 



requested to do so in protecting from gj-al and merchantable timber rights are 



fire the forested watersheds of navi- to be reserved to the owners, but the 



gable streams. Such assistance cannot timber can only be removed under 



be given unless the state has itself pro- rules and regulations expressed in^ the 



vided for a system of forest-fire pro- instrument of conveyance. Agricul- 



tection and the amount expended in any tural land included in the takings may 



state in any year may not exceed that i-,g <;et apart and sold as homesteads in 



appropriated by the state. The Secre- tracts not exceeding eighty acres under 



tary of Agriculture may also agree to ^ules prescribed by the Secretaries of 



administer and protect for a term of Agriculture and the Interior, 



years private forest lands situated on 'j\^q lands so secured are to be held 



watersheds whereon there are national and administered as national forest 



forest lands, and in such cases the lands; civil and criminal jurisdiction is 



owner of these private lands can cut not afifected by such administration ex- 



and remove timber only under such reg- cept so far as offenses against the 



ulations as will protect the forest in the United States are concerned ; and five 



aid of navigation. per cent of all income from such na- 



For the fiscal year ending June 30, tional forest shall be paid to the state 



1910, the sum of $1,000,000, and for in which it is located to be expended 



each'year thereafter until June 30, 1915, for public schools and public roads in 



the sum of $2 000,000 is appropriated the counties in which the forest is sit- 



183 



