The Trees of Wyoming. 67 



heavily forested mountain ranges. She is thrice blessed 

 in having within her boundaries three regions deemed 

 worthy of protection and preservation by our Government. 

 Let us hope that these may remain to bless the people, 

 both within and without our boundaries, through all time 

 to come. May national interest demand the preserva- 

 tion of the mighty forests that crown the summits and 

 cover the slopes of the Wind River mountains also. 



Nature has further made amends for our wind-swept 

 plains by giving us a fourth Forest Reserve, one in which 

 the whole world has an interest as the great Wonderland. 

 This is the region where are conserved the waters that 

 feed the rivers of a continent. In Yellowstone Park are 

 the headwaters of three great river systems, the Missouri, 

 the Columbia and the Colorado, not to mention many 

 smaller streams that are ultimately tributary to these. 



A PLEA FOR A PROTECTIVE POLICY. Shall not we, 

 as citizens of the state which has most to gain, loyally sup- 

 port a policy that means so much to our arid plains ? Un- 

 der the past reckless management, or rather total want of 

 supervision, enough timber has been destroyed by forest 

 fires (often wantonly kindled) to bountifully supply the 

 entire state for centuries. Under a wise protective policy 

 our forests can be made to yield all the timber that we 

 can possibly use for domestic purposes, without in the 

 least impairing their beauty, extent or productiveness. 

 If we learn to know our forest resources and their value 

 to us, then we shall come to appreciate them so highly 

 that we shall stand as a unit for their protection from 

 those who would destroy them for private gain. We shall 

 also desire to protect them from the consequences of the 

 present reckless indifference that allows the destruction 



