THE NATIONAL FOREST RESERVES 



The Purpose of Their Establishment How They Have 



Grown, and the Important Ends They Will Conserve 



XCLUDING the two reserves in stop this damage and to give the for- 

 Alaska, which cover nearly ests their greatest usefulness by con- 

 5,000,000 acres, there are now in the serving the water supply without shut- 

 United States 51 forest reserves, with ting off the supply of timber. On 

 a combined area of 57,833,974 acres, account of the expense and natural 

 These reserves are divided among 13 conditions involved, there is a limit 

 States and Territories of the West. If to the size of impounding reservoirs, 

 they redeem arid land only to the ex- hence the necessity for preventing 

 tent of their own areas, it would their overflow by floods, and for male- 

 mean 373,337 new farms of 160 acres ing their supply regular, that all the 

 each for water is the' West's great- water possible may be saved for use. 

 est need, and it is now recognized thai Forests are the chief agency in tlvs 

 water conservation is to be the most work, and to maintain them is abso- 

 important service rendered by the re- lutely essential to the reclamation of 

 serves. What this would mean in the the arid West. 



way of increased agricultural wealth This use of a forest, however, is 



it is easy to see. not at all inconsistent with its use for 



The people of the United States, many purposes. Lumbering, when 

 as a whole, have little idea of the rightly done, is an advantage, not a 

 enormous magnitude of the interests detriment. Grazing, when regulated, 

 affected by the Government's forest does not injure the forest, and pros- 

 reserve policy. Timber supply import- pecting, locating, and developing 

 ant as this is, is a relatively small part mines are not interfered with by re- 

 of the whole purpose. The reclama- serve restrictions. Thus the Govern- 

 tion of millions of acres of arid land, ment, in establishing reserves, in no 

 a sustained or heightened fertility for sense withdraws the forests from use. 

 other millions of acres of farm lands, On the contrary, while all their pres- 

 and, finally, the safeguarding for the fu- ent uses are continued, their greac- 

 ture of pasturage for millions of head est power for good is kept from injury 

 of sheep and cattle are already certain and increased in value by the wise 

 results of that policy. It contemplates and careful protection afforded the 

 furnishing the present and thousands reserve management. Only under 

 of prospective settlers wood, water, such management can these forests 

 tillable lands, and prosperous homes, most effectively aid irrigation in re- 

 Roundly stated, the purpose is to give claiming thousands of square miles of 

 these forest reserves their highest util- waste lands, and in building homes 

 ity to all who use them now or will over vast areas hitherto regarded as 

 use them hereafter. impossible of settlement. 



This is clearly a work of stupendous The Bureau of Forestry has had 

 proportions. Irrigation, which will during the past summer 15 agents in 

 prove the salvation of millions of acres the field investigating actual and pro- 

 of these lands, can not realize its larg- posed forest reserves. If they discov- 

 est possibilities unless the watersheds er that agricultural lands, or lands 

 of the West are under conservative more valuable for other purposes, 

 forest management. Great damage has have been included in reserves, they 

 been done there by overgrazing, reck- will recommend their immediate ex- 

 less lumbering and, most of all, by elusion. If they find land which will 

 fires. Reserves were established t.o be more useful when reserved than 



