202 STATE LAWS FOR PROMOTION OF TREE-PLANTING. 



neglect of fires kindled for lawful purposes, through which such acci- 

 dent slioukl happen, was made also punishable in liUe manner. 



An act approved March 13, 1874, forbids the cutting down or strip- 

 ping off of bark of any tree "over sixteen feet iu diameter" in the grove 

 of big trees in the counties of Fresno, Tulare, or Kern, or the destruc- 

 tion of any such trees under a penalty of not less than $50, nor more 

 than $300, or by im])risonment not less than 25 nor more than 150 days, 

 or both fine and imprisonment. One-half of the penalty is to be paid 

 to the informant. 



COLORADO. 



The new State of ('olorado has been the first to recognize in her con- 

 stitution the duty which it owes to the future iu the care of forests, and 

 is the only State iu the Union in which a guaranty of this nature is in- 

 corporated into the fundamental law. 



In Article XVIII of the constitution adopted in convention March 14, 

 1870, we find the following sections : 



Sec. 6. The general assembly shall enact laws in order to prevent the destruction of, 

 and to keep iu good preservation the forests upon the lands of the State, or upon lands 

 of the public domain, the control of which shall be conferred by Congress upon the 

 State. 



Sec. 7. The general assembly may provide that the increase iu the value of private 

 lands, caused by the planting of hedges, orchards, and forests thereon, shall not, for a 

 limited time, to be fixed by law, be taken into account in assessing such lands for tax- 

 ation. 



The constitutional convention that prepared this instrument adopted 

 a memorial, which was presented by Mr, Patterson in the House of Eep- 

 resentatives on the 21st of March, 1876, asking for the transfer of the 

 timber-lauds of the then Territory to the care and custody of the State, 

 setting forth the reasons therefor as follows: 



To the honoi-ahle the Senate and House of Bepresentaiires of the United States of America 

 in Congress assembled : 



The memorial of the convention assembled for the purpose of framing a constitution 

 for the State of Colorado respectfully i-epresents : 



That the greatest attention ought to be directed to the preservation and care of those 

 resources upon which the welfare of the people depeuds. This principle finds an 

 especial application with us as far as onr forests are concerned. With the exception 

 of our mountain regions, but little timber is met with anywhere in Colorado. But 

 along the creeks and rivers which cross our prairies we may find now and then a small 

 spot covered with scatt'^red trees and short, useless undergrowth. Our mountains alone 

 contain forests worth the while to be mentioned and considered. But even these, ex- 

 cept some valleys, where, indeed, beautiful forests are yet growing, present an alarm- 

 ing spectacle to the close observer. The slopes, ridges, and higher plateaus of the 

 mountains contain but few trees, generally short and twisted from their constant ex- 

 posure to strong winds. The higher regions, of course, are bare on account of their 

 great elevation. Only the more protected portions of the mountains, valleys, and 

 small parks contain valuable timber. The area of the mountainous portion of Col- 

 orado, as far as we can estimate from the best topographical maps and our own knowl- 

 edge, amounts to abf)ut 15,000,000 acres. Of these, 30 per cent, may be considered 

 bare at present, 30 per cent, covered with useless wood, 30 -per cent, to contain about 

 twenty-five cords of wood per acre, aud 10 ])er cent, unobjectionable forests. But the 

 rapid increase of our i)opulation ; the spread of iudnstries, the building of extensive 

 railroads, the reckless devastation of timber in cutting aud transporting it, and the 

 frequent fires — mostly caused by carelessness and often raging for mouths — thre.nten 

 soon to destroy our forests aud expose us to the danger of a wood famine, if some efi'ect- 

 ual means are not employed to check a further destruction and to remedy, as far as pos- 

 sible, the damage already done. The consequences of such a calamity would be se- 

 verely felt ; thousands of laborers would be thrown out of employment, who had made 

 a living in cntting, transporiiug, and working up the products of onr forests. Saw- 

 mills would have to stop, aud smelting- works have to be removed entirely out of our 



