FOREST LANDS FOR THE PROTECTION OF WATERSHEDS. 15 



STATEMENT OF GOVERNOR GEORGE E. CHAMBERLAIN, OF 

 OREGON. 



Governor CHAMBERLAIN. Mr. Chairman and gentlemen, I am here 

 at the request of some of the distinguished gentlemen from the 

 Northeast to join with them on the part of the Northwest in further- 

 ing this movement. I desire to say that Oregon has at least one-fifth, 

 probably a little more than one-fifth, of her area in the federal 

 reserves, and that area embraces the most magnificent forest reserves 

 of the whole western country. Until the Government established 

 these reserves and took control of them there was very little done 

 toward forestry protection, but since the Government has taken 

 charge these forests have been better preserved, trespassers are in 

 greater fear of the Government than they ever would be of any of the 

 state authorities, and the results there are splendid. I want to say 

 that I believe that some policy ought to be taken by Congress to 

 acquire, not in the name of the State, but in the name of the United 

 States, those deforested areas, not only in the Northeast, but along in 

 the Appalachian Range as well. The suggestion has been made that 

 possibly the same end might be subserved if the title remains as it is, 

 or possibly in the State with federal supervision, but it seems to me 

 that in order to accomplish results these lands ought to be purchased 

 by the Federal Government, either by agreement with the parties 

 who own them or by the exercise of eminent domain, if that can be 

 done, and I think it can be. Not only will it be necessary for refor- 

 estation of the deforested areas, but it seems to me it will eventually 

 become necessary to expropriate, if I may use that term, the ownership 

 in the water powers as well as in the deforested areas. So I want to 

 say that the Northwest heartily joins in this movement, and I think 

 that the Government, if it does not do it now, will be compelled in 

 the very near future, for its own protection, to buy these areas. 



Governor GUILD. I need scarcely remind you gentlemen that Gov- 

 ernor Chamberlain spoke for the governors of all of the United 

 States in response to the address of the President. 



I present as the next speaker the president of the University of 

 Wisconsin, Dr. C. R. Van Hise. 



STATEMENT OF DR. C. R. VAN HISE, PRESIDENT OF THE UNI- 

 VERSITY OF WISCONSIN. 



Doctor VAN HISE. On yesterday afternoon I had no expectation of 

 saying anything in reference to this matter to the Committee on Agri- 

 culture, but the men who are especially interested in this measure in 

 the southeastern part of the United States asked me to say a few 

 words in reference to the condition of that part of the country. As 

 a member of the Geological Survey for a number of years I had 

 charge of the work in that region, and therefore traveled extensively 

 over it all the way from Virginia to Georgia. I am therefore some- 

 what familiar indeed very familiar with the actual situation in 

 that region. I am not going to undertake to present the details upon 

 which the conclusion is reached that this upland region should be 

 reserved as a forest, since I understood one of the members of the 

 committee to say that that point was already conceded; that it was 

 admitted that it was extremely desirable indeed, almost necessary 

 that this great upland region be reserved as a forest. 



