November 28, 1913] 



SCIENCE 



757 



been able to analyze in detail the sentiment 

 on the individual forests and now know just 

 where opposition in each case exists and the 

 extent to which the work of the federal 

 government is valued. I have been aston- 

 ished at the overwhelming preponderance 

 of sentiment among the local communities 

 in favor of the forest system. Frequently 

 there are objections to certain regulations, 

 or diiSeulty and friction in specific transac- 

 tions. But every year these local troubles 

 are being adjusted on the ground. There 

 is still definite opposition to the forest sys- 

 tem and the principles of our administra- 

 tion from certain groups, and certain 

 interests. There are still certain water 

 power interests which are carrying on a 

 fight against the Forest Service. Many 

 speculative interests oppose the forest sys- 

 tem because the resources are not open to 

 private acquisition under the general land 

 laws. Certain men are opposed to the na- 

 tional forests because they can not secure 

 privileges that would be possible if the 

 forests were unprotected. For example, in 

 the southwest I find a well defined opposi- 

 tion among those who desire to run herds of 

 goats on the forests without restriction. 

 The desire to secure valuable timber for 

 speculation is now, and always will be, a 

 source of opposition to the public control 

 of our forests. 



One proof of the present favorable senti- 

 ment is the fact that there are now rela- 

 tively few breaches of the regulations. For 

 example, in the fourth administrative dis- 

 trict, which includes Utah, Nevada, north- 

 ern Arizona, southern Idaho and south- 

 western Wyoming, over 11,000 permits 

 were issued last year, each involving some 

 regulation. There were only 35 cases of 

 trespass, about half of which were innocent 

 and the majority of the remainder not 

 very important. Such a record would be 

 absolutely impossible if the people them- 



selves were not right behind the regula- 

 tions. In other words, it was public senti- 

 ment that made it possible to carry out the 

 procedure with such success." 



In the national forest districts it is now 

 seen that the aim is to make the national 

 forests serviceable at present as well as in 

 the future, and people are cooperating 

 more and more with the government to 

 make the local administration successful. 



In the east the work of the federal gov- 

 ernment is to-day far more effective than 

 ever before. The establishment of national 

 forests under the provisions of the Weeks 

 law is accomplishing many results not an- 

 ticipated even by its most earnest advo- 

 cates. The purchase of lands on impor- 

 tant watersheds in the White Mountains 

 and southern Appalachians is steadily 

 progressing. Already contracts for over 

 700,000 acres have been approved by the 

 National Forest Reservation Commission. 

 These lands are located on the most im- 

 portant watersheds and have been secured 

 at prices representing their actual value, 

 the average being $5.07 per acre. It has 

 already been demonstrated that the build- 

 ing up of national forests by purchase and 

 at reasonable prices is practicable. 



The first effect of these purchases has 

 been an educational one. The wide inter- 

 est in the work has resulted in an awak- 

 ened appreciation of forest protection and 

 forestry wherever the government has been 

 examining land for purchase. Coopera- 

 tion in forestry between the government 

 and the states has received a great stimu- 

 lus. The actual annual saving from loss 

 on areas protected from fire directly as a 

 result of the Weeks law, on private as well 

 as public property, would amount to a 

 very large aggregate sum. In short, the 

 Weeks law is now yielding results which 

 fully justify the new policy which it estab- 

 lished. 



