FOREST AND STREAM 
1249 
THE MALHEUR LAKE RESERVATION. 
Boston, Mass., September 13, 1916. 
Editor Forest and Stream: 
I noticed in the public press to-day that T. 
Gilbert Pearson, Secretary, of the National As¬ 
sociation of Audubon Societies, has just re¬ 
turned from a visit to Malheur Lake, Oregon, 
which has long been known as one of the most 
important breeding places for wild birds in this 
country. 
An attempt is being made to secure from the 
United States Government the title of this land 
for the purpose of draining the lake, for the 
benefit of a few persons. 
This action is unwise economically because it 
substitutes for a certainty of valuable birds, the 
uncertainty of agricultural products on alkaline 
soil, by nature unadapted for agricultural pur¬ 
poses. 
It carries with it too, a subversion of public 
rights. These breeding places, relatively few 
in number, require peculiar conditions which 
cannot be readily duplicated. It means diminish¬ 
ing by so much the annual crop of wild birds 
on this continent. It means exploitation of a 
public asset for private gain. It should meet 
the opposition, not alone of the sportsmen and 
the persons who have the right to see birds 
under their natural conditions, but should as 
well meet the condemnation of the agricultural 
press in all sections of the country. 
It is difficult to believe that the people of the 
State of Oregon will permit such an important 
state asset to be destroyed, for Malheur Lake in 
its original and natural conditions should be 
one of the most important natural features of 
the state, and as such should be protected as it 
exists to-day. 
Through the efforts of the Audubon Associa¬ 
tion Lake Malheur was made a United States 
Bird Reservation on August 18, 1908, and since 
that time has been guarded under the care of 
the Government. 
Certain interested persons in Oregon have now 
made application to the Government to declare 
the lake to be swamp-lands suitable for agricul¬ 
tural purposes, and thereby invalidate the Gov¬ 
ernment’s title to the land. Herein appears the 
weak point in all the Federal legislation rela¬ 
tive to the setting aside of the bird and game 
reservations, particularly in the case of birds. 
The mere fact that land can be made suitable 
(at any price) for agricultural purposes shall 
not exclude the possibility of retaining that land 
as a place for producing birds, if the annual 
crop of birds is of more value than the agricul¬ 
tural products. 
I am writing to Mr. Pearson advising him 
that the National Association of Conservation 
Commissioners will support the Audubon As¬ 
sociation in its effort to prevent the destruction 
of this bird reservation by draining and ex¬ 
ploitation of the land. 
Yours very truly, 
George W. Field, 
President, National Association 
of Conservation Commissioner^,. 
! 
. ' >•' 
V'G . . • . 
'Ml 
. ■ .■* 
; |pt» 
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