i899- 



AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. 



85 



reservation does not prevent the sale of 

 timber to people of the Territory for all 

 uses and purposes when there is need of 

 same ; it does not prevent bona fide 

 entrymen from taking up land that is 

 more valuable for agricultural purposes 

 than for timber or mineral. 



"A reservation does prevent fraudu- 

 lent entries as homesteads on timber 

 lands ; it does prevent an indiscriminate 

 slaughter of timber; it prevents the 

 vast waste of timber bv forest fires ; 

 it prevents a few people from deriving 

 all the benefits from our forests to the 

 detriment of the people in general. 



" It is not the intention of the Interior 

 Department or any of its representatives 

 to put hardships upon the people of 

 Arizona, but to preserve for her citizens 

 those things which will, some time in the 

 future, make her a proud sister among 

 the sisterhood of States ; it is their desire 

 to people the Territory with men who 

 come to make Arizona their home, and 

 to protect them against those who come 

 to glean, galher, and go." Arizona 

 Journal- Miner. 



water available for use. It is safe to say 

 that with the former forest cover, even 

 with the small snowfall and little rainfall, 

 the low stage of the river would not have 

 fallen to thirty-four second-feet as it did 

 this year, but would have been several 

 times more, for the innumerable small 

 springs would have continued their sup- 

 ply. If the forest cover continues to be 

 removed, autumns of low water like the 

 present will cease to be exceptional, but 

 become the rule, the river will be lower 

 than it has been this year, and may be 

 come as dry as some of the tributaries." 



The following statement of the effect 

 of forest removal on the water supply is 

 extracted from Weekly Bulletin No. 28, 

 Colorado Experiment Station. The bul- 

 letin was prepared by Prof. L. G. Car- 

 penter and relates to the discharge of 

 water by the Cache la Poudre River dur- 

 ing the season of 1898 : 



" Since the early settlement the areas 

 of forest have become much less from 

 fires, denudation for mining, and railroad 

 purposes. The amount used for domes- 

 tic purposes is of small importance, ex- 

 cept as careless and irresponsible cutting 

 gives conditions favoring the spread of 

 the devastating forest fires. From the 

 standpoint of the water supply on which 

 agriculture depends, the protection of 

 the forests becomes of vital importance. 

 The protecting influence of the forests 

 on the**snow cover is of the greatest im- 

 portance. The letting in of the sun and 

 wind melts and evaporates the snow 

 without sensible formation of water, dries 

 the springs and lessens the amount of 



The (lila River Forest Reserve. 



By proclamation of President McKin- 

 ley, dated March 4, The Gila River 

 Forest Reserve was formally segregated. 

 It embraces a rough, mountainous region 

 in the southwestern part of New Mexico, 

 the Black Mesa Forest Reserve adjoin- 

 ing it on the west. It includes part of 

 the Mogollon, Black, San Francisco and 

 other ranges of mountains. The land is 

 exceedingly rough, having no roads and 

 but few trails through it. There are not 

 many settlers within the bounds of the 

 reserve. Those who are there are stock- 

 men They have a great many cattle, 

 but not many sheep Considerable areas 

 of the forests within the reserve have 

 been burned over. It is asserted that 

 the Cliff Dwellers once inhabited the 

 gorges and canons within the bounds of 

 the new reserve, and that remains of 

 their dwellings are still in existence. 



The Gila, San Francisco, Tulerosa, 

 and Mimbres rivers and other streams 

 have their sources in the mountains of 

 this reservation. As several of these 

 streams flow into Arizona, the people of 

 that Territory have some interest in the 

 preservation of the forests on their moun- 

 tain water sheds. The rich alluvial val- 

 leys through which these streams run 

 after emerging from the mountains, and 

 the mild but arid climate, makes the con- 

 servation of water a matter of prime im- 

 portance there. 



The business men of this city have no 



