86 
FOREST POLICY. 
In the State of Colorado, and in the Territories of New Mexico, Mon- 
tana, Idaho, and Utah, there are in round numbers 90,000 square miles 
of forestland. It is estimated that four-fifths of it still belongs to the 
public domain, equal to not less than 45,000,000 acres. To speak of a 
management of this domain would convey the erroneous idea that there 
exists such a thing as forest management in these mountains. While 
private owners may, perhaps, be somewhat careful in the cutting of their 
timber, and possibly may take measures to protect it against spoliation 
or fire, nothing of the kind can be said of the people’s property. 
Under existing laws and regulations with respect to this vast body 
of woodlands, it would appear that forest fires have almost undisputed 
sway; railway corporations freely use and waste the public timber; 
unscrupulous lumbermen fell more trees than they can use; while poor 
men, struggling to establish homes, often find it difficult legally to ob- 
tain timber enough for their personal use. The few special agents of 
the General Land Office, scattered through this wide region, from lack 
of numbers and proper system, are powerless to avert forest destruc- 
tion. Alleged trespassers are often prosecuted, but rarely convicted. 
No forests are saved from fire, and few, if any, from the ax. The policy 
of withholding from survey the public timber lands in certain of the 
Territories is worthy of commendation, and is likely to prevent, for the 
time being, the entry or sale of such lands, but not the spoliation of the 
timber on the same. 
That the present condition of affairs is, and has been for some time, 
noxious and detrimental to the best interests, present and future, of 
this region, has been recognized by every honest settler along the 
mountain range. While all are agreed that the existing policy is injur- 
ious, undesirable, and should be changed, the proposed remedies differ, 
often very widely. 
The present administration of the Land Office has exerted itself to 
the utmost, with absolutely inadequate means, to guard the people’s 
property, and the reports of the Commissioner in the strongest lan- 
guage make clear the necessity, and at the same time the impossibility, 
of protecting from depredation this part of the domain. The impossi- 
bility of dealing adequately under the present system often necessitates 
dealing unfairly, or seemingly so.* 
The following extracts from letters received from representative men, 
in reply to inquiries as to the character of the present laws for the dis- 
posal of the public lands and the necessity for their amendment, will be | , 
of interest : 
The laws are not sufficiently strict to prevent denudation of the forest lands, fraudu- 
lent appropriation of timber supplies, and leaving of rubbish to cause forest fires. 
There is too liberal construction of the law allowing the cutting of timber for do- _ 
mestic purposes; under it many abuses are perpetrated. 


*See summary on page —. 

