IT might be interesting to know how this problem of perpet- 

 uating forests on non-agricultural lands has been met in 

 our sister states, as well as foreign countries. 

 New York, Pennsylvania, and others which were earlier set- 

 tled and developed than Minnesota, committed the very same 

 mistake which we have followed. The lands granted to them 

 by the government were sold, regardless of character. The 

 rich lands were settled and farmed, the poor lands which were 

 covered with forests were deforested and reduced to barren 

 wastes and unproductiveness. As a result, large areas in 

 these states became a burden to the community. Not only 

 that, but in a good many instances, floods were caused by 

 deforestation, which have done considerable damage. The 

 Ohio river can be cited as an example. Annual floods have 

 been caused by this river near Pittsburg amounting to almost 

 me million dollars in damages annually, and this very exam- 

 )le has been multiplied in other places. 



Protection of Watersheds. 



Appreciating the necessity of protecting their watersheds 

 ind preventing floods, it was decided that a different policy 

 lad to be adopted. Appreciating the fact that thousands and 

 thousands of acres unfit for farming were lying idle, which 

 could be made to produce timber, a constructive forest policy 

 has been inaugurated in these states. New York, alone, has 

 1,600,000 acres of state forests, Pennsylvania 980,000 acres, 

 and Wisconsin 500,000 acres. These attempts for a progres- 

 sive forests policy are very recent and there is no doubt that 

 much larger areas will soon be included. It should be borne 

 in mind, however, that these states had to purchase this land 

 in order to create their state forests, and much of the land 

 purchased, originally belonged to the public domain. 



By the provision of the Ninth Amendment, Minnesota will 

 be in the unique position of not being compelled to purchase 



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