:86 



THE FORESTER. 



August, 



that has been forced on many another 

 mining community that of the timber 

 supply close at hand being exhausted 

 through wasteful methods of lumbering, 

 followed by bringing in timber from a 

 distance at high prices. The result has 

 been increased cost of operation. Much 

 of the timber used at Cripple Creek now 

 is being shipped in from saw-mills sixty to 

 one hundred miles away, while the heaviest 

 timbers are imported from Oregon. - A 

 majority of the mines are forced to use 

 coal for fuel, while the price of mine 

 timbers and building materials is steadily 

 increasing. What this means can be best 

 appreciated when it is stated that over 

 2^.000,000 feet of lumber was consumed 

 in Cripple Creek last year alone. 



A mine owner who has been prominent 

 in Cripple Creek since the first discovery 

 of gold, gives as his opinion that unless 

 some very radical change takes place soon, 

 the rapidly increasing cost of timber will, 

 in five years, very seriously threaten the 

 jDrofitable working of mines throughout 

 the district. The man in question has 

 known the region for thirty years, is presi- 

 dent of one of the most prominent mining 

 companies and well qualified to speak on 

 the situation. His opinion is supported 

 by the statements of a number of other 

 mine owners. What is true of the Cripple 

 Creek district in regard to mining and 

 timber supply is equally true of many of 

 the other mining camps of Colorado. 



The question naturallv arises : What 

 can be done to improve the present situa- 

 tion and at the same time insure for the 

 future a steady timber supply? At the be- 

 ginning of the year 1900 there remained 

 in Colorado about 7,000 square miles of 

 timber land. During the year mentioned 

 fires in fifteen counties destroyed 75S 

 square miles of this remaining forest area 

 so that at present little more than 6,000 

 square miles are left. Of this the greater 

 amount is included in the 3,103,360 acres 

 of national forest and timber reserves 

 within the state. 



Obviously the national government, con- 

 trolling as it does the major portion of the 

 remaining timber area of Colorado, is in 

 the best position to inaugurate a forest 



policy that will relieve the present situa- 

 tion and insure an adequate timber supply 

 in future years. By placing the scientific 

 management of these reserves under the 

 direction of the Bureau of Forestry, and 

 making liberal rules in regard to the cut- 

 ting of dead, down, and ripe timber it 

 would go a long way toward averting 

 what now seems a rapidly approaching 

 timber famine. 



Throughout these reserves there is an 

 immense amount of dead and down tim- 

 ber. The handling of these forests on the 

 principle of scientific forestry will require 

 the removal of this dead and down timber 

 in order that the young and growing tim- 

 ber may have a fair chance, and also that 

 the danger from fire may be lessened. As 

 the reserves are near the mining camps 

 this dead and down timber to a great ex- 

 tent can be used for mining purposes. 

 Adding to this the ripe timber that should 

 be removed from time to time for the ;ood 

 of the growing forest, there will be a very 

 substantial timber supply obtainable on 

 the reserves while their forests are being: 

 perpetuated. 



Mine operators and other classes will 

 gladly use this dead and down timber. 

 Its sale will be a source of income to the 

 government, from timber which is now 

 to a great extent going to waste. More 

 liberal rules then regarding the cutting of 

 dead and down timber will not only pro- 

 duce financial profit to the government, 

 but it will assist in the future development 

 of these forests and at the same time pro- 

 duce cheap timber and fuel for one of the 

 state's leading industries. 



In advocating more liberal rules for the 

 cutting of dead and down timber on the 

 reserves it is meant that such cutting shall 

 be done on the lines laid down by a scien- 

 tific forester ; that the miner seeking fuel 

 and timber, and the forester looking out 

 for the future welfare of the forest, work 

 hand in hand. In the event of such a 

 policy being introduced it will be incum- 

 bent upon mine operators and others cut- 

 ting on the reserves to see that the rules 

 laid down are obeyed ; that fire is guarded 

 against, that unlawful cutting and timber 

 stealing are stopped. Obviously it will be 





