Records of the Colorado State Forestry Association

The early years of the Colorado State Forestry Association (CFA) reflect the development of the conservation movement in the United States, which began in the 1870s for both practical and esthetic reasons. Conservationists sought to prevent timber shortages and to combat the wasteful exploitation of scenic national resources. In the arid American West, the deleterious impact of over-cutting on mountain watersheds elicited particular concern. A healthy forest near a watershed allowed gradual snow melt into the streams, preventing floods and providing a more stable water supply for irrigation. Not surprisingly, many agriculturalists supported the conservation movement.

Conservationists in Colorado, led by businessman Edgar Ensign, formed the Colorado State Forestry Association in 1884 with the goal of supporting the conservation, management, and renewal of forests through the dissemination of educational materials, promotion of forestry legislation, and creation of forest reserves. The CFA campaigned for legislation providing for the appointment of a State Commissioner of Forestry and the protection of state forest lands. Although Edgar Ensign was appointed Colorado's first Commissioner of Forestry, it became evident that the state government was unwilling to devote the resources necessary to implement changes sought by the CFA.

Taking their concerns to Washington, the CFA sought federal involvement. The passage of the 1891 General Revision Act authorized the President to establish forest reserves on public lands. This was followed by the creation of several forest reserves throughout the country, including the White River Plateau Reserve of over one million acres in northwestern Colorado. The Act met with resistance in Colorado, as homesteaders, miners, cattlemen and some large businesses opposed the increased restrictions that accompanied the forest reserves. The Colorado state legislature tended to support this resistance, viewing the new laws as an eastern conspiracy aimed at harassing westerners.

Despite this opposition, the CFA advocated for additional forest reserves, and by 1903 six new reserves had been created in Colorado, encompassing three million acres of forest. Next, the CFA campaigned to have the estimated twelve million acres of unprotected forest lands surrounding watersheds designated as forest reserves. With the support of several state and local agencies, businesses and colleges, federal legislation eventually actualized these goals.

In addition to their efforts to influence legislation, members of the CFA worked with schools, social clubs, chambers of commerce and other organizations in order to stimulate interest in forest preservation. William G. M. Stone, a former clergyman and farmer who served as CFA president from 1903 to 1916, worked closely with educators at Colorado Agricultural College (now Colorado State University) in developing a forestry short course at the school. The association also encouraged tree planting, especially in Colorado's arid regions, by providing trees and information about growing them. Education, planting programs and conservation lobbying characterized CFA activity in the ensuing decades.

In 1944, the organization merged with the Denver Society of Ornamental Horticulture and assumed a new name, the Colorado Forestry and Horticulture Association. Then in 1960, this group merged with the Botanical Garden Foundation of Denver, becoming the Denver Botanic Gardens, Inc. These mergers represented a change in emphasis from political activism concerning forests to education about horticulture.