326 



FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION 



July 



this law the Wisconsin forest reserves 

 will be helped to a considerable extent. 



Act of June 29, 1906., to permit the 

 President to designate such areas in 

 the Grand Canyon Forest Reserve as 

 should, in his opinion, be set aside for 

 the protection of game animals. Ow- 

 ing to a horseshoe bend of the canyon 

 there is a certain portion of that forest 

 reserve which, by building a short 

 fence, can be completely cut off from 

 the surrounding country. This will 

 furnish an unusually secure breeding 

 place for the native game animals and 

 those which different societies may 

 wish to import. 



Act of June 29, 1906, to create the 

 Mesa Verde National Park. 



Act of June 30, 1906, (Agricultural 

 Appropriation Act). This law pro- 

 vides as follows : 



(1) That the forest reserve special 

 fund, which would otherwise cease to 

 be available for the administration and 

 protection of forest reserves in 1910. 

 shall continue available until Congress 

 takes action to provide otherwise. 



(2) That ten per cent, of all money 

 received from each forest reserve dur- 

 ing any fiscal year, including the one 

 just passed, shall be paid to the coun- 

 ties in which the reserve is situated for 

 the benefit of the public schools and 

 roads. Over $75,000 will be available 

 for such counties at once, and the 

 amount will increase rapidly from year 

 to year. 



(3) Permission to export forest re- 

 serve timber from the State or Terri- 

 tory in which it was cut is extended to 

 cover all States and Territories and 

 the District of Alaska, with the sole 

 exception of the Black Hills Forest 

 Reserve in South Dakota, where dead 

 and insect-infested timber only may be 

 exported. 



(4) A special appropriation of $15,- 

 000 was made for building a wire 

 fence and necessary sheds in the 

 ' \ ichita Forest Reserve to provide a 

 range for a buffalo herd which is to be 

 presented by the New York Zoological 

 Society. An area has been selected for 

 this enclosure, and the conditions of 



climate and forage are such that the 

 buffalo herd will probably increase and 

 last for all time. 



Act of June 30, 1906, to authorize 

 rights of way for the City of Los An- 

 geles, Cal, through the Sierra, Santa 

 Barbara and San Gabriel Forest Re- 

 serves for a sufficient water supply to 

 meet all possible increase in the popu- 

 lation of that city. The city is allowed 

 in the meantime to use "the surplus 

 water for generating electricity and 

 for irrigation purposes. 



The principal bills, which were of 

 interest but did not pass, are as fol- 

 lows : 



The Appalachian and White Moun- 

 tains Forest Reserve Bill passed the 

 Senate and was reported as a Commit- 

 tee measure in the House. In the lat- 

 ter place, however, it was never called 

 up for consideration. There seems to 

 be considerable likelihood of its pas- 

 sage next year. 



Senator Burketfs Grazing Bill was 

 introduced in both Houses, but failed 

 to receive any consideration owing to 

 the pressure of such important meas- 

 ures as the Rate Bill, etc. The stock- 

 growers, however, have shown great 

 interest, and many meetings of their 

 associations have declared in favor of 

 Government control. It looks very 

 likely that this bill will be actively con- 

 sidered next year with a fair chance of 

 becoming a law. The condition in the 

 West on account of overgrazing, the 

 insistent advent of new stockmen, and 

 the conflict between sheep and cattle 

 interests, is becoming too dangerously 

 acute to be ignored. In a few years 

 some irreparable damage to the for- 

 age-producing power of the range will 

 have been done, and stockmen will be 

 practically in a condition of civil war- 

 fare. 



The Tawney Bill, for more defmite- 

 lv fixing the boundaries of the Minne- 

 sota National Forest Reserve and re- 

 imbursing the Indians for their land 

 taken for public purposes, seemed to 

 fail of passage merely because it was 

 not taken up in Committee early 

 enough in the year. 



