OUR NATIONAL ESTATE 5 



ever, has dawned a new national land era based upon 

 a new use common to all. The National Forests, for 

 example, which were created and are operated to 

 conserve our lumber resources, also furnish wilder- 

 ness recreation to many millions of persons. The 

 Reclamation Projects, whose purpose is irrigation of 

 arid lands for agriculture, may also become pleasure 

 resorts of high degree. Waste swamps everywhere 

 may become migratory bird refuges, unused mili- 

 tary and naval lands may become parks, unused Post 

 Office sites make excellent city play-grounds, and 

 abandoned light-house reservations may be the best 

 of excursion resorts. There is seemingly no end to 

 the beneficent new uses to which Uncle Sam's real 

 estate may be applied without diverting it in the least 

 from original industrial uses. 



To these suggestions government officials have 

 eagerly responded, and there is in progress the be- 

 ginning of an approachment which, in the years, 

 unquestionably will produce increased effectiveness 

 in other directions than only the one which is bring- 

 ing about this new co-operation. For the first time 

 in many years there is need for an official generic 

 term to cover all. The name Federal Lands is com- 

 ing into use as that generic term. It is sound, de- 

 scriptive and concise. 



Originally, of course, there was no classifica- 

 tion of government lands. All were then known as 

 public lands, or the Public Domain. Uncle Sam first 

 became a large land holder under a resolution of the 



