Reform in Forestry Methods 233 



But both are alike in this, that at last effective steps 

 are taken to guard against fires and timber thieves. 

 The reservations set aside by various States like- 

 wise differ, inasmuch as their principal purpose is 

 the preservation of forests or the reserving to the 

 use of the people of districts conspicuous for their 

 scenery or other natural beauties. For instance, 

 the Adirondack forest reserve of the State of New 

 York is a forest reserve proper, while the interstate 

 reserve recently established by Minnesota and Wis- 

 consin about the dells of the St. Croix River is 

 analogous to the Yosemite Park. 



The government forest reserves were estab- 

 lished under the provisions of an act of Congress, 

 approved on March 3, 1891, which authorizes the 

 President to withdraw from entry and sale portions 

 of the public domain which in his opinion are 

 required for the protection of the waterflow and 

 forest growth. Under this law over thirty such 

 reservations have now been created, aggregating 

 almost 50,000,000 acres, of which a portion, how- 

 ever, lies above the timber-line in the regions of 

 eternal snow. It is likely that several more reserva- 

 tions will be established ere long. No appreciable 

 opposition to this policy was at first encountered. 

 But when by a proclamation of President Cleveland, 

 dated February 22, 1897, the aggregate extent of 

 the reservations theretofore created was increased 

 very much by the addition of several more very 

 large tracts, a determined opposition arose on the 

 part of several interests which believed themselves 



