Democratic Sentinel, Volume 11, Number 34, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 23 September 1887 — OUR FORESTS. [ARTICLE]

OUR FORESTS.

A Suggestion for Their Protection and Preservation. [Washington speeiaLl Chief Fernow, of the forestry division of the Department of Agriculture, after a careful survey of the ground, reaches the conclusion that the forest area owned by the United States Government represents a capital of at least $280,000,000, and that the annual loss by fire will average $8,000,000. He proposes that the Government make accurate surveys of this wooded land and withdraw it from sale and pre-emp-tion, and that it employ a few trained foresters, with a suitable number of assistants, to protect the timber from burning and ruin, which comes of the indiscriminate use of the ax. The cost of this system would be inconsiderable compared with its benefits. Computing the forest area of the State of Colorado, for instance, at 5,000,000 of acres, it is not probable that its proper care would call for an outlay of more than $300,000 a year, whereas the forest fires alene destroy at least three times that amount; so that, were one-third of these fires prevented, the saving would wipe out every dollar of expense. Moreover, from the sale of timber the Government would reap a liberal income. Forests can be judiciously penned, not only without hurting them but with positive advantage to their productive powers. The direction of such work must be, however,"in the hands of an expert.