1899. 



AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. 



65 



State Associations. 



California. 



Concerning the activity of the newly 

 organized California Society for Con- 

 serving Waters and Protecting Forests, 

 the San Francisco Call says : 



A few days ago a special committee went to 

 Sacramento to ascertain Governor Gage's senti- 

 ment toward the movement for the conserva- 

 tion of the waters and forests of the State. 

 Their request for an audience was answered by 

 the statement that they would be granted 

 fifteen minutes. At the expiration of an hour 

 and a quarter the committee arose, but the 

 Governor asked them to remain and further 

 elaborate their proposition 



The outcome of the conference was the 

 announcement that the enterprise would have 

 the hearty support of the Governor, and, fur- 

 thermore, that he would send a special message 

 to the Legislature advocating the passage of 

 the measure proposed by the society. 



The legislation which is thus called for pro- 

 vides for the appointment of a Commissioner 

 of Irrigation, whose duty it shall be to co-op- 

 erate with the United States Geological Survey 

 in surveys and estimates of cost of reservoirs 

 for storing flood waters for irrigation, mining 

 and industrial purposes. It is stipulated that 

 the commissioner shall receive no salary 

 and that he is to hold office at the pleasure of 

 the Governor. The measure, however, calls 

 for the appropriation of $10,000 to be expended 

 by the Director of the U. S. Geological Survey 

 with the understanding that the Geological 

 Survey will expend from Federal appropria 

 tions an equal amount in connection with said 

 work. 



Another provision of the proposed law is that 

 a commission be appointed for the purpose of 

 devising means to preserve the forests of the 

 State from destruction by fires and wanton 

 depredation, and to report to the Governor the 

 result of their labors. A striking feature of 

 the desired act is the provision that until such 

 commission shall have reported to the Governor 

 upon the matters intrusted to their care no 

 legislative action shall be taken toward the 

 acceptance of the proposed donation by Con- 

 gress of a million acres of arid lands. 



Mr. W. N. Byers, of Denver, was re- 

 elected President of the association. 

 The other officers chosen w 7 ere : First 

 Vice President, Henry Michelsen, of 

 Denver ; Secretary and Treasurer, D. W. 

 Working, of Denver. 



On motion of State Engineer John E. 

 Field, resolutions were adopted endors- 

 ing the recommendations of the National 

 Irrigation Congress in regard to the crea- 

 tion of a bureau of forestry in the De- 

 partment of the Interior. The recom- 

 mendations of the Irrigation Congress 

 set forth the importance of irrigation in- 

 terests in the West and the necessity of 

 maintaining a supply of water through- 

 out the entire season. They further call 

 attention to the fact that the forest cover 

 conserves the snowfall, forming a 1 atural 

 storage for water, and equalizing the flow 

 of the streams, also lessening the load of 

 silt in the streams. Recognizing these 

 facts the resolutions commend the care 

 of the forests to the Secretary of the In- 

 terior and urge the formation of a forestry 

 bureau, an appropriation by Congress to 

 be made sufficient for the support of the 

 bureau and the efficient preservation of 

 the National forests, whether included in 

 forest reserves or not. The resolutions 

 also contain a recommendation that legis- 

 lation be provided looking to the pre- 

 vention of forest fires. After endorsing 

 the resolutions of the Irrigation Congress 

 the Association then adopted resolutions 

 bearing upon local conditions and needs 

 and urging some State legislation in the 

 interest of forest conservation and pro- 

 tection. 



Colorado. 



The annual meeting of the Colorado 

 Forestry Association was held in Denver 

 on February 15. A full account of the 

 proceedings of the meeting has not 

 reached The Forester, but from press 

 reports it is enabled to present the 

 following : 



Nebraska. 



Pursuant to a call a meeting was held 

 at the Nebraska State University, Lin- 

 coln, Neb., on February 15, which re- 

 sulted in the formal organization of a 

 society which is to be known as the 

 Nebraska Park and Forestry Association. 

 The meeting was well attended, various 

 parts of the State being represented A 

 constitution was adopted and the follow- 



