Page:Petition and map from John Muir and other founders of Sierra Club.djvu/2

 the territory outside of the blue lines is to be taken out of the Yosemite National Park Reservation, which would

First : endanger in T.HS., R25E and R26E & T.ZS, R25E the headwaters of the San Joaquin River, a river on whose water the irrigation of the whole San Joaquin Valley is dependent.

Secondly : in T1S, T2S, R19E & T1S, T2S, R20E it will denude the watersheds between the branches of the Tuolumne River and Merced River of the most valuable timber, destroy forests which in their magnificent growth form an attraction to visitors not only from the State of California, but from all over the United States and from abroad and although provision is made in said bill to reserve a tract one mile square constraining the Tuolumne Big Tree Grove and also a similar tract about the Merced Grove the destruction of the surrounding forest will necessarily cause a great danger through forest fires to these two groves of Sequoia gigantea, which ought to be and have heretofore been protected by the United States Government with singular interest

Thirdly : The taking over of the Reservation of T2N & T1N R19E will hand over to private ownership most valuable reservoir sites which ought to be zealously guarded for the benefit of the state at large

Fourthly : The exemption of T2N R20E, of T2N R21E, T2N & ½ T. N. R22E of T2N & ½ T. N. R23E of T2N, ¾ T. N. R24E and of T15 R25E will endanger the watershed of the