114 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



we have suffered from forest fires during the past season far more than the] 

 average. While we see a constantly increasing number of men who own for- 

 ests, introducing the practice of forestry on their lands, and a constantly I 

 increasing number of men planting trees on their waste lands ; and although 

 all the timber on the national forests is cut under the methods of forestry, it 

 nevertheless is a fact that only one to two per cent of the lumber on the market 

 today has been cut under the principles of forestry. This means that there is ] 

 a tremendous work before us in the actual work of introducing the practice | 

 of forestry on the ground. 



There is a tendency to feel that as soon as a policy is established, the] 

 work is done. As soon as the organization of the forest service was accom- 

 plished, it was believed that the fire problem was solved. No greater mistake I 

 can be made for we have before us a tremendous work to develop these forests 

 and to make the protection from fire possible. Many of them constitute a 

 vast wilderness, undeveloped and without the means of transportation and] 

 communication which are absolutely necessary for fire protection. We have] 

 determined that it will cost at least eight million dollars to develop the roads'] 

 and trails, telephone lines and other equipment necessary for the primary] 

 control of fires. When that is done and there is an adequate patrol provided 

 we can guarantee the safety of the national forests, and not until then. When! 

 we realize that the national forests comprise only a comparatively small por-l 

 tion of the forests of the country, we must understand that there is a great] 

 work to do aside from the work of the government on its own lands. 



The duty of the nati >nal forest service extends far beyond the administra-] 

 tion of the public forests, '.he government must take the leadership in the] 

 development of the science and practice of forestry throughout the country. 

 It is impossible for the government or for the individual states, to do all ofl 

 the work which is necessary to bring this about. The states must provide also! 

 their local forest services. They must make it possible through aid to private] 

 owners in fire protection and in solving the problem of taxation, to practice] 

 forestry on private lands. 



There must, however, be an immense amount of educational work; and] 

 that is the function of associations of this kind. I believe myself that this] 

 association may be made a great educational instrument to aid the govern-] 

 ment and the states in extending knowledge of forestry throughout the entire] 

 country; that this central association should extend its influence, combining] 

 with state associations and all other educational agencies to aid in the educa- 

 tion of people to the necessity of forestry and to teach them how to practice it. 



