CHAPTER XII. 73 



Tiands, while the San Bernardino part of the forest reserves of the 

 South has a considerable area in private hands. 



The reserve system suggests the policy of Switzerland. In that 

 republic experience has demonstrated the immediate and often awful 

 results to lower agricultural lands from forest denudation on steep, 

 high mountains. 



From this experience has been evolved a forest system which lays 

 out as a part of its functions forest reserve districts. The lands within 

 these, whether public or private, are under public control, and not a 

 tree can be cut without public authority. We may come to this system 

 some day. 



There are in this State about eighty-three thousand square miles 

 of public lands in the hands of the Federal government. An examina- 

 tion made by expert civil engineers on section lines, and mapped by 

 the old State Board of Forestry, in its reports, shows that the mountain 

 land with merchantable t.mber is substantially all in private hands. 

 There is, generally speaking, little or no timber of merchantable quality 

 and accessibility in California not in private hands. 



Fuel and small wood costs more to haul out of the high Sierras 

 at present than it will bring. There are restricted districts where the 

 waste and fallen wood, or small standing timber, could pay its way 

 for use as ties, posts, fuel or mining, but no large revenue is in sight 

 from this source at present. Consequently, the sources of revenue and 

 support of foreign systems is in a great degree absent in California. 



We may asisume that the known condition of California in this 

 respect in one or another of its districts applies to those of the entire 

 West. 



There is, however, a source of revenue to the government from a 

 rational management of its mountain forest lands, when handled in 

 ■conjunction with the development by public irrigation works of the 

 vast area of arid public land. 



The reason why there is such a large amount of public land in 

 California, and in the West generally, is that the land is n.U in an 

 arid climate, and that it is therefore incapable of supporting, a farmer 

 or settler, without a secure supply of water for irrigation and often 

 for domestic use. 



The mountain forested areas are all incapable of agriculture in 

 the Southwest. There is consequently no gain of productive area, as in 

 the settlement of Ohio, for Instance, by denuding them. On the other 

 hand, these forests are the natural reservoirs of the Southwest. 



