Editorials 



177 



Elimination of Private For many years the Sierra Club has advo- 

 HoLDiNGS IN National cated the exchange of patented areas exist- 

 Parks by Exchange ing within the borders of National Parks 



for Forest Lands for public lands of equal monetary value, 



but unimportant from a scenic standpoint 

 and existing outside of the parks. It has been impossible to induce 

 Congress to purchase outright these private holdings, which in many 

 instances have seriously interfered with the proper administration of 

 the National Parks. The only feasible plan seems to be that sug- 

 gested, of exchange for other lands owned by the Government. This 

 should be done without further delay. A bill has been introduced in 

 Congress and is now pending before the Public Lands Com- 

 mittee of the House, providing for the exchange of the privately 

 owned tracts of land within the Yosemite National Park and con- 

 taining a superb growth of sugar pine and yellow pine and other 

 magnificent forest trees, and extending along the Wawona Road con- 

 necting the Yosemite Valley and Mariposa Grove of Big Trees. In 

 lieu of this land, which should belong to the Government and be re- 

 tained in its original condition within the Park, it is proposed to give 

 land outside of the Park containing a stand of timber of equal value. 

 The Yosemite Lumber Company has agreed to this exchange and the 

 Forest Service has made the necessary estimates and the Park admin- 

 istration favors the exchange. There is no good reason why this bill 

 should not becomes law except inertia. The Public Lands Committees 

 of the House of Representatives and of the Senate, Washington, D. C, 

 should each be separately urged by all who have the welfare of the 

 National Parks at heart, to act favorably on this bill, which is H. R. 

 No. 12,533. Write now to your representatives in Congress, before you 

 have a chance to forget. Unless the bill passes soon, the lumber com- 

 pany will, for economic reasons, be compelled to commence cutting. 

 While you are writing, urge an exchange of the same character to be 

 made to preserve the wonderful forest along the road to Signal Peak 

 near Wawona and along the Big Oak Flat Road within the Yosemite 

 National Park, leading into the Yosemite Valley from the north. 



W. E. C 



Exchange of Stumpage Another proposal which appeals to one as 

 FOR Cut-over Lands being admirable is that of exchanging 



within National Forests standing timber on forest lands owned by 



the Government for privately owned lands 

 from which the timber has already been, or will be cut. Of course, the 

 cut-over lands have little present value and the Government should be 

 able to secure them for a comparatively small amount of standing 

 timber in exchange, which would represent the present value of these 

 cut-over lands. 



The officials of the Forest Service can doubtless work out some sort 

 of an equitable basis for such exchange. This plan has many excellent 



