NATIONAL FOREST RESERVE IN WEST VIRGINIA 



BY J. A. VIQUESXEY, 

 Forest, Game and Fish Warden. 



ON account of the peculiar location Anticipating the passage of such a 



of the State of West Virginia, law by the United States Government 



perhaps no State in the Union the West Virginia Legislature of I'.H.-.I 



needs a larger forest reserve, but no in conformity with the suggestions of 



action has yet been taken by the State Governor Dawson. in his biennial 



to purchase or control any forest lands, message, passed a bill which gives the 



neither has any law been passed con- United States Government the right to 



trolling the cutting of timber so that acquire such property. This bill com- 



our cut-over lands may again be re- prises Chapter til of the Acts of 1909, 



forested. and is as follows : 



This is a deplorable condition, but 'An act to empower the United 



nevertheless true, and the effects may States of America to acquire lands in 



be seen by traveling over many railroads West Virginia, by condemnation or 



of the State and looking at the cut- otherwise, for a national forest reserve, 



over areas, that are almost depleted of and granting to the United States all 



vegetation and practically useless for rights necessary for the proper control 



all time to come. and regulation of such reserve. 



However, the National Government, Section 1. That the consent of the 

 having made a careful study of these Legislature of West Virginia be and is 

 conditions and realizing, especially, the hereby given to the acquisition by the 

 great danger that we are facing on ac- United States, by purchase or by con- 

 count of tlie drying up of the fountain demnation with adequate compensation 

 heads of our great commercial streams, of such lands in West Virginia as in 

 sometime ago, under the Weeks Law, the opinion of the Federal Govern- 

 made an appropriation for the purpose ment may be needed for the establish- 

 of making investigations looking to the ment of such a national forest reserve 

 purchase of large areas of wooded lands in that region ; provided, that the State 

 in several States. of West Virginia shall retain a 



Among the States that have properly current jurisdiction with the 



qualified or passed laws, allowing the States in and over such lands 



United States Government to purchase that civil process in all cases, and such 



land for the purpose mentioned, are criminal proces as may issue under 



Maine, New Hampshire, Maryland, the authority of the State of West Yir- 



Virginia, West Virginia, North Caro- ginia against any person charged 



Una, Tennessee, South Carolina and the commission of any 



Georgia, and naming the counties in or within said jurisdiction may 



West Virginia in which this land will cuted thereon in like mai 



be purchased as parts of Pendleton. act had not been pass 

 Hardy, Randolph and Pocahontas. 



For many years the United States tYrred upon 

 Congress has been endeavoring to have 



a law enacted and appropriations made acquisition, as 



for the purpose of purchasing suuvient I".T incorporation in 

 forest reserves to insure an even supply 

 of water to our navigable rivers, were 

 only successful in having such bill be- 

 come a law until a recent session of 

 Congress. 



