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1895
1895 Steel gathers evidence of illegal cutting of timber on the lower slopes of the Crater Lake Forest Reserve.
1895 The area’s first plant collection study is begun by Dr. Elmer Applegate of Stanford.
December 1895 Will Steel spends three months in Washington, D.C. working to defeat legislation that had been introduced to either resend the Cascade Forest Reserve Act or to shrink its boundaries. To help with expenses, Steel works as an assistant to Sen. Mitchell, for $10 a week. To his horror he learns that his former friend had introduced legislation “to wipe the Cascade reserve off the map.” While in Washington, Steel, Waldo and the Mazamas kept up a letter and telegram campaign to defeat the opposition. At one point Steel ran so low of funds he was forced to ask Waldo for money. Steel was very effective at meeting with government officials and making his position known. The fact that he had tremendous support from Oregon helped the situation, as he could by telegram send message to Waldo and within days the government office would be flooded with letters, telegrams, and petitions. (Williams, 1991)
“Sen. Mitchell omitted no opportunity to strike at the reserve and…was trying to embarrass Cleveland. The matter assumed national importance and became a bone of contention in officialdom, and for a time looked as though all laws for the protection of forests would be repealed. The President was harassed by contenting parties and no one could foretell the end. (Steel, 1932)
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