In the aftermath of the Forest Management Act, which made provision for the survey of the forest reserves, the U.S. Senate passed a resolution on February 28, 1898, “calling on the Secretary of the Interior for a report on the survey of the forest reserves’ by the U.S. Geological Survey. The summary section of the report, which was devoted to a description of the resources and activities in the Cascade Range Forest Reserve stated that it consisted of 4,492,800 acres, of which 461,920 were railroad land. Some 95 percent of the reserve was forested with 75 percent “marked by fire” and 90 percent “badly burned.” Accordingly, a force of two rangers, five forest guards, and thirty fire watchers was recommended for the reserve. Furthermore the report contained the following data on the reserve:
A rugged mountainous region, densely timbered on the western slope, with much open land cleared by fire, and suitable for grazing.
Fire has done, and is still doing, very serious injury.
Irrigation is but little practiced on either slope.
Mining has little present or prospective importance.
Agriculture can attain little development within the reserve.
The grazing of sheep should be permitted tentatively and under careful restrictions.
The commercial development of this reserve is not demanded for the present. [40]
During 1900-01 various boundary changes were made to the Cascade Range Forest Reserve. On October 9, 1899, citizens of Wasco County submitted the following petition to the General Land Office:
We ask that you extend the reserve, and include within its borders the line of townships adjoining it on the east, or, in other words, we pray you that the east line of the Cascade Forest Reserve be moved 6 miles farther east than at present, between the East Fork of Hood River on the north and White River on the south, and that all of township 1 north of range 11 east of the Willamette meridian also be included in said forest reserve, and that all herded stock be excluded therefrom.
After several studies of the question were conducted by Forest Superintendent S.B. Ormsby a presidential proclamation was issued on July 1, 1901, adding 142,080 acres to the reserve. This addition included most of the land requested by the Wasco County citizens, but excluded “township 1 north, range 11 east, and the north 1/2 of township 1 south” because there were many permanent settlers on those lands. At the recommendation of Ormsby the proclamation included the addition of “township 5 south, ranges 9 and 10 east, and the strip of land lying directly south thereof and extending to the north line of the Warm Springs Indian Reservation.”
On June 29, 1900, two townships comprising 46,080 acres were eliminated from the reserve by executive order. Townships 22 and 23 south, range 9 east on the eastern border of the reserve were eliminated on behalf of ranchers and sheep owners who prior to the creation of the reserve had established homes and made improvements on their lands. The townships were deemed nonessential to forest usage and water conservation purposes, their primary value being derived from agricultural utilization. As they were on the border of the reserve, it was determined that they could be eliminated without affecting the integrity or obstructing the control of the reservation.[41]
Appendix A3: Proclamation No. 6
Appendix B3: Forest Reserve Boundary Notice
Appendix C3: Rules and Regulations Governing Forest Reserves
Appendix D3: Report on the Survey and Examination of Forest Reserves, March 1898
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