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PARAGRAPH XXIX. 



HISTORY OF THE NATIONAL FORESTS. 



The "National Forests" of the United States are situated in 

 the so-called "public land states" and territories, and comprise 

 land, the title to w^hich has been vested in the United States 

 ever since the Louisiana purchase, the Florida purchase, the 

 Mexican war, the Oregon settlement, and so on. The difference 

 between national parks and national forests lies (and has been 

 lying) in the following points essentially: 



Firstly : National parks are established by Act of Congress ; 

 national forests by presidential proclamation or (rarely) by Act 

 of Congress. 



Secondly : National parks are not intended for any use ex- 

 cept for public recreation ; national forests are intended, and 

 are especially reserved for the use of the v^'hole people not 

 for the use of individuals with reference to any and all of 

 their resources. 



Thirdly: National parks are in charge of the Secretary of War, 

 and are protected by the army forces ; national forests are in 

 charge of the Secretary of Agriculture, and are protected by 

 a special staff of the "Forest Service." 



By Act approved on March 3rd. 1891, after twenty years of 

 public agitation in favor of such Act ,the President of the 

 United States was authorised to reserve as "public reserva- 

 tions" any part of the public lands, wholly or in part covered 

 with timber or undergrowth, whether of commercial value or 

 not. The President was requested to declare the establishment 

 of such reservations and the limits thereof by public procla- 

 mation. 



The Act was passed under President Harrison, and under the 

 auspices of the then Secretary of the Interior, John W. Noble. 

 Characteristic it is that this basal law of all national forestry 

 was smuggled into an appropriation bill by way of a rider. 



