American Forest Congress 365 



these had a strong influence in creating the pubHc 

 sentiment that at last manifested itself in the passage, 

 on March 3, 1891, of an act granting authority to the 

 President to set aside as public reservations public 

 lands bearing forests, wholly or in part covered with 

 timber or undergrowth. (Stat. L., vol. 26, p. 1103, 

 sec. 24.) Under this act seventeen forest reserves 

 were established prior to September 28, 1893, aggre- 

 gating in area 17,564,800 acres. 



The establishment of these reserves did not excite 

 any special approval or disapproval of the policy, 

 except as some local interest was affected favorably 

 or unfavorably. In the latter case, little attention was 

 given the matter by the parties directly concerned, for 

 there was no real protection of the reserves by patrol, 

 and the cutting of timber and the destruction by fires 

 went on as before. But by executive proclamations 

 of February 22, 1897, based upon recommendations of 

 the Forestry Commission of the National Academy 

 of Sciences, there were established thirteen additional 

 forest reserves, containing an aggregate of 21,379,840 

 acres. This action was followed by strong opposition 

 to the policy, especially in the Northwestern States, in 

 which many of the reserves were situated. 



In the letter recommending the establishment of the 

 forest reserves the Forestry Commission stated, in 

 effect, that it had purposely recommended very large 

 reserves in order to create a public sentiment which 

 would cause Congress to enact laws securing the 

 proper administration of the reserves. The result of 

 establishing the reserves more than met the anticipa- 

 tions of the commission that legislation would follow, 

 owing to the pressure of the people on their repre- 

 sentatives in Congress. The first storm of protest 

 came mainly from South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, 



