

94 THE FORESTER. April, 



forest lands which cannot be moved else- Before this letter was written the Secre- 



where. The interests of private forest tary of Agriculture and the Secretary of 



owners, which can be looked after only by the Interior had been considering the pos- 



this department, are immensely greater in sibility of having the national forest 



area than those of the Government in the reserves put under the charge of the 



forest reserves. The amount of forest in foresters of the Agricultural Department, 



farms alone is more than four times greater There was some chance that the matter 



than the whole area of the reserves. might be referred to Congress, and the 



" 2. The time for the introduction of Chairman of the House Committee on 



practical forestry on many of the forest re- Agriculture asked the Secretary of the 



serves has fully "come. This is shown by Interior for his opinion on the matter. 



the fact that private owners have sent ap- In reply Secretary Hitchcock wrote on 



plications to the Department of Agricul- January 9th : 



ture in the last two and a half years, for "I am in receipt of your letter of January 

 assistance to that end on about three mil- 5th, in which you ask, in behalf of the Corn- 

 lion acres of their land. Since every mittee of Agriculture, for my views on 

 trained forester in the Government service transferring the administration of the forest 

 is in the Department of Agriculture, that reserves, now under the control of this 

 Department is evidently the only agency Department, to the Department of Agri- 

 that c;m introduce practical forestry on the culture. I have considered the matter 

 forest reserves. The request of the Secre- fully, and I am of the opinion that, al- 

 tary of the Interior to the Secretary of though there can be no question as to the 

 Agriculture for reports upon technical for- desirability of a complete consolidation of 

 est matters is unanswerable evidence on the Government's forest work, it would 

 this point. probably be unwise to attempt to secure 



" 3. Every source of wealth grown from adequate legislation during the present 



the soil is already in the sphere of the De- short session of Congress. On the other 



partment of Agriculture. Hence the for- hand, it is eminently necessary that the 



est work rightly belongs to it. The De- trained foresters of the Government should 



partment of Agriculture is already familiar have charge of all the technical govern- 



with the problems and conditions of the ment forest work. In order to bring this 



forest reserves. about, the following plan has been agreed 



" It is evident that whatever relates to upon by the Secretary of Agriculture and 



titles, patents, and ownership of the land myself, subject to the action of your Com- 



in the forest reserves should remain in the mittee. 



control of the General Land Office; and "The police and patrol of the forest re- 

 it has been objected that a separation of serves will remain under this department, 

 this branch of the work from the practical together with the routine office work nec- 

 administration of the reserves is not feas- essary thereto. The investigation and de- 

 ible. To my mind the dividing line is a cision of all technical forest questions and 

 perfectly clear and sharp one. As a the execution of the resulting plans will 

 private individual pays a lawyer to advise be in the charge of the Forester and his 

 him and determine, with the aid of the chief assistants, whom I will appoint as 

 courts the ownership of his real estate, special agents without pay, directly re- 

 and entrusts the care of it to another sponsible to myself. The officials and 

 agent, so may the United States. The employees of the Department of the In- 

 determination of the ownership should be terior will furnish promptly and cheer- 

 left to that branch of the Government fully, in the office and in the field, all 

 best adapted to the work. The adminis- assistance, information, maps and docu- 

 i"ii of the forests should likewise, ments necessary for the execution of this 

 without question, be in the hands of the work, and will cooperate with the Fores- 

 men who are specially trained for that ter and his assistants in every way. Re- 

 P ur P 05e - ports on forest work and conditions and 



