1900. 



AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. 



2 39 



claimed boundaries of reserves to relin- 

 quish their claims there and to take out 

 claims as they choose in other forested 

 public lands outside the reserves, has 

 within the past year opened the way for 

 fraudulent use of public timber. Suppose, 

 for instance, as in the case noted in the 

 first paper, that such bonajide ( !) settlers 

 are lumbermen's dummies, who have 

 taken advantage of the letter of the law to 

 receive pay for giving away to the lumber- 

 men public forest property to which, in the 

 spirit of the law, they were by no means 

 entitled. Suppose the lumbermen to have 

 cut from the claims of such dummies all 

 available timber, so that the claims have 

 become worthless for the axe. Then sup- 

 pose the passage of the lieu-land law. 

 Further supposition is unnecessary. Facts 

 relate the 1'est. Some of the most valu- 

 able timber adjacent to the Olympic Re- 

 serve in western Washington has recently, 

 under cover of this law, passed into the 

 hands of lumbermen who have thus a sec- 

 ond time robbed the government at its own 

 invitation. 



We have already seen when speaking of 

 the Federal Reserves that the laws at pres- 

 ent on the statute books which provide for 

 the use of public timber, both reserved 

 and unreserved, and for its protection from 

 theft and fire : are individually inadequate 

 and collectively inconsistent. It is true 

 that the Commissioner of the Land Office 

 drew up, and had presented to the last 

 Congress, a bill aiming to repeal all these 

 fragmentary enactments, and to substitute 

 in their stead a single law drawn to meet 

 the various local requirements. That bill, 

 however, received no attention, and it is 

 not altogether certain that its terms are at 

 every point as good as might be wished. 



XII. FOREST PARKS. 



Beginning with the movement in favor 

 of the creation of the Adirondack Park in 

 the State of New York, there has been in 

 late years a distinct development toward 

 the preservation of forest lands for park 

 purposes, a development which has been 

 very markedly accelerated during the past 

 few months by the promoters of the Ap- 

 palachian and Minnesota Parks. The Ap- 



palachian Park when completely mapped 

 out will preserve to the population within 

 a reasonable distance from its boundaries, 

 the free use and enjoyment of one of the 

 most beautiful forested regions of our 

 country that rich hardwod stretch in the 

 mountain regions about Asheville and 

 through the western end of North Caro- 

 lina. There is every reason to hope that 

 the interests which are touched by this 

 project may so far appreciate its impor- 

 tance as to carry it through .successfully. 

 The example of the Adirondack Park is 

 before us, while Ne\v Hampshire and 

 Massachusetts, through the excellence of 

 their roadways and village improvements, 

 are able under analagous conditions to at- 

 tract to their wooded regions numerous 

 summer visitors who bring to the com- 

 munity its chief life, and who take away 

 increased health and energy to their work 

 at home. Pennsylvania, in her forest 

 lands reserved by purchase, is also making 

 an effort to combine the interests of the 

 forester with considerations of health and 

 recreation. In Minnesota finally, against 

 a strongly hostile pressure, an effort is be- 

 ing made, as is now well known, to pre- 

 serve the forested lands lying about the 

 headwaters of the Mississippi for the pleas- 

 ure and benefit not only of the citizens of 

 the State but of all citizens of what- 

 ever State, who care for nature and 

 the conditions of the wilderness. Odd as 

 it may seem, one of the strongest elements 

 of hostility to this project appears on ex- 

 cellent authority to be the rum-shop ele- 

 ment. For this district has no agricultural 

 interests ; the population consists largely 

 of lumbering crews; while the lumber- 

 jacks with their wants, and those whose 

 business it is to set a bait for their pay 

 checks, give to the region its distinctive- 

 character. Of course these interests have 

 a direct share in Congressional representa- 

 tion, to say nothing of state politics. This 

 is perhaps sufficient to show that the in- 

 terests of forestry when pushed with vigor 

 have sometimes to cope not only with 

 apathy and inertia, but also with forces 

 which are actively and positively evil. It 

 is believed, however, that such facts as 

 these will not long bear the light of day, 



