190 1 



AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. 





chot sums up the situation in Colorado in 

 a most comprehensive manner: 



" Citizens of Colorado were amono 1 the 

 first men in the West to realize thevita] 

 importance of the preservation of forests, 

 ami Colorado's interest in forest protec- 

 tion was early recognized by the National 

 Government. The White River Plateau 

 Reserve was the second of the forest re- 



session oi tin- Government, and G 

 should remember that the 

 state and the safety of the fori . in 



tin' Ion-- run. synoin mous t< rm 



While title to the land Mill resides in 

 the nation. Congress is, . .hi. 



mat: ly responsible tor setting asid 

 protecting adequate national ton 

 serves, although even in such cases the 



VIEW OF NORTH MAM PEAK, BATTLEMENT MESA RESERVE, COLORADO. SHOWS 

 ALMOST COMPLETE DESTRUCTION OF FOREST BY DEEP BURNING 



GROUND-FIRES. 



serves to be established, and it was rapidly 

 followed by the Pikes Peak, Plum Creek, 

 South Platte, and Battlement Mesa Re- 

 serves. There has been, however, no ad- 

 dition to the reserved area in Colorado 

 since December 24, 1892. One slight re- 

 duction, in the Battlement Mesa Reserve, 

 has just taken place. 



" Few regions need forest protection 

 more urgently than Colorado. Her for- 

 ests are vitally connected with her other 

 interests. Their prosperity forms one of 

 the indispensable factors without which 

 the prosperity of the State can not he per- 

 manent nor its industries successful. It 

 should never be forgotten that the only 

 forests which are permanently safe are 

 those which are permanently in the pos- 



State or its citizens may reasonably take 

 the initiative in pointing out and urging 

 the reservation of such tracts as appear 

 suitable. In selecting these reserves two 

 considerations are always upp< 

 namely the preservation and perpetuation 

 of the forest, both for itself and for the 

 timber it can yield, and also the tion 



of the water supply upon which all 

 animal as well as vegetable, depei 

 It follows, therefore, that those ti 

 are most suitable which contain, at 



same time, the sources of streams and ' 



ests, either mature or growing, sufficient 

 t.i furnish co\ er. 



In the matter of protecting these 1 

 tional reserves alter the} have on< e i 



sel apart the state and its citi/ens. | 



