86 A PRIMER OF FORESTRY. 



trol, President Harrison created the first forest reserves. 

 President Cleveland followed his example. But there 

 was yet no systematic plan for the making or manage- 

 ment of the reserves, which at that time were altogether 

 without protection by the Government. Toward the 

 end of President Cleveland's second Administration, 

 therefore, the National Academy of Sciences was asked 

 to appoint a commission to examine the national forest 

 lands and report a plan for their control. The academy 

 .did so, and upon the recommendation of the National 

 Forest Commission so appointed, President Cleveland 

 doubled the reserved area by setting aside 13 additional 

 forest reserves on Washington's Birthda\ r , 1897. 



The Cleveland forest reserves awakened at once 

 great opposition in Congress and throughout the West, 

 and led to a general discussion of the forest policy. 

 But after several }^ears of controversy widespread 

 approval took the place of opposition, and at present 

 the value of the forest reserves is rarely disputed, 

 except by private interests impatient of restraint. 



The recommendations of the National Forest Com- 

 mission for the management of the forest reserves 

 were not acted upon by Congress, but the law of June 

 4, 1897, gave the Secretary of the Interior authority 

 to protect the reserves and make them useful. The 

 passage of this law was the first step toward a national 

 forest service. The second step was the act of Con- 

 gress, approved February 1, 1905, which transferred 

 the control of the national forest reserves from the 

 Department of the Interior to the Department of 

 Agriculture. This act consolidated the Government's 

 forest work, which had been divided between the Gen- 

 eral Land Office and the Bureau of Forestry, and 



