IOWA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES. 17 



A committee was appointed to draw up resolutions 

 memorializing congress regarding the establishment of 

 forest reserves. On this committee were appointed L. IJ. 

 Pammel, B. Shimek and M. F. Arey. 



RESOLUTIONS OF THE IOWA ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 



WITH REFERENCK TO THE ESTABLISHMENT OF FOREST RESERVES BY THE 



UNITED STATES. 



The Iowa Academy of Science approves of President Roosevelt's message 

 on forestry and irrigation, two great internal questions and heartily concurs 

 in the statement that, ' 'The fundamental idea of forestry is the perpetuation 

 of forestry by use. Forest protection is not an end of itself; it is a means to 

 increase and sustain the resources of our country and the industries which 

 depend upon them. The preservation of our forest is an imperative business 

 necessity. We have come to see clearly that whatever destroys the forest 

 except to make way for agriculture threatens our well being." The useful- 

 ness of the forest reserve has been demon trated and to have them wisely 

 and justly administered is therefore an imperative necessity. We heartily 

 concur in the recommendations made by Secretary Hitchcock in his annual 

 report that the forest reserves should be under the direction of trained for- 

 esters and that forestry, dealing as it does with a source produced by the 

 soil, is an agricultural subject and should ultimately come under the head of 

 the Department of Agriculture if found practicable, because of the trained 

 foresters in the department. This will be to the interests of the reserves 

 and the people who use them. We heartily commend the action of Secretary 

 Hitchcock in creating the Division of Forestry of ;he Interior Department and 

 appointing men who are specially fitted to look after the management of the 

 reserves, until such time as the forestry work of the government shall be 

 under one management, the United States Department of Agriculture. 



In regard to the grazing of sheep in our reserves we are glad to note that 

 a more enlightened policy shall prevail. We commend specially the state- 

 ment of Mr. Gifford Pinchot, that ''the wise adjustment of the grazing 

 question must be a compromise founded on a just consideration of all vari- 

 ous interests concerned." The resources of the forests should be wisely 

 used and all matters pertaining to the forest and tributary country should 

 be considered on its merits. We approve most heartily, also, the recom- 

 mendation of Secretary of Agriculture Wilson in regard to the proposed 

 Appalachian reserve which is urged in order to protect the headwaters of 

 important streams, to maintain an already grea'ly impaired supply of tim- 

 ber, ard to promote a national recreation ground which, with the single 

 exception of the Adirondacks, will be readily accessible to a larger number 

 of people than any other forest region in the United States." 



Resolved, That the Iowa Academy of Sciences hereby petitions Congress 

 to take favorable action on the following recommendations: 



"1. To set aside for park and forestry purposes the timber tract of the 

 Leach Lake Indian Reservation and other lands at the headwaters of the 

 Mississippi to protect the waters of this great stream which have greatly 

 diminished during the summer months. Also to conserve the immature 



