86 



FOREST POMCY. 



In the Slate of Colorado, and in the Territories of New Mexico, Mon- 

 tana, Idaho, and Utah, there are in round numbers 90,000 square miles 

 of forest land. 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 5 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 snrvey 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 difier, 

 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 tlie 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 — . 



