.5;U; JOURNAL OF FORESTRY 



Land lislecl for entry within the Forest has not been filed on in several 

 instances and plans are on foot to liave the Hsts recalled. In other 

 instances where entry has been made settlement has not been effected. 

 In still other instances, outside the Forest the claims have been aban- 

 doned after settlement. The general agricultural use of the land at 

 present has certainly been settled through actual effort. 



The question of the subject must undoubtedly be answered in the 

 affirmative. 



future Use IVithin the National Forests. — Granting that the forest 

 growth on the pinon-juniper lands in the eastern Rockies is not a 

 merchantable timber in the strictest sense of the term, nevertheless, it 

 is timber, is put to a practical use, and is essential to tlie agricultural 

 economy of the locality where found. Therefore the pinon-iuniper 

 lands should be classed with those lands qualifying in a larger degree 

 as potential National Forest land and justifying the chief object for the 

 creation of the National Forests. 



By "insuring a perpetual supply of" pinon and juniper on the 

 National Forests a distinct contribution is made to the agricultural 

 settlement, development, and improvement of the adjacent territory. 

 This is accomplished through the growing of valuable fence posts. 

 telephone stubs, ^nd fuelwood. No argument appears necessary for 

 the statement that the economic need for an annual supply of fence 

 posts is justification for placing the species under forest management. 



The moisture conserving value of these lands is relativelv small. 

 The snows disappear early and the resulting run-off reaches the 

 valleys before the water is needed. But the great value of this forest 

 cover is the prevention of erosion. The prevailing soil erodes easily 

 and quickly, as evidenced along wagon roads and trails. Since erosion 

 is so intimately related to the maintenance of a normal, natural balance 

 the conservationist is warranted in fostering measures to prevent it. 

 The continuance of this forest cover of pinon and juniper will accom- 

 plish the result. The necessary practice of forestry which will bring 

 this about can be done only by the Federal Government. 



"To provide for the use of all resources" would include, when con- 

 sidering the pinon-juniper lands, the resource of forage. I believe the 

 time is not far distant when that resource will be emphasized bv the 

 interests most vitally afTected in an effort to add to the National 

 Forest the very lands under discussion. Further discussion of that 

 resource is hardly pertinent to the question. 



