TWENTY-EIGHTH ANNUAL MEETING 



85 



-farm, but are good fields for unscrupulous 

 exploitation by land sharks. The forestry 

 movement is based on the platform that the 

 State should hold all tax lands and acquire 

 large areas for the production of timber 

 by the State. 



Wisconsin clearly recognizes the principle 

 that the State may go into the business of 

 timber production. Their 300,000 acres of 

 land, while located largely around stream 

 headquarters, is distinctly for timber pro- 

 duction. William Irvin, whose company 

 gave to the State some thousands of acres of 

 cutover lands, said that in his opinion the 

 State was the agent to reforest lands and 

 grow timber for the future — "the individual 

 never will do it." These instances are cited 

 to emphasize the difference between the 

 point of view of these States and that of 

 New England, where it is recognized that 

 the individual can grow timber and that the 

 State's function should be confined to such 

 measures as will encourage the development 

 of private forestry. 



The formal report of the committee is as 

 follows : 

 To the American Forestry Association : 



Your committee, appointed to report on 

 the following subject, "Principles in the 

 Acquirement and Management of State For- 

 ests," begs to present the following report: 



(i) It is believed that all States should 

 have a well defined policy of acquiring and 

 managing forest lands. This policy will 

 necessarily differ in different States. 



(2) Forest reserves can be made to serve 

 the State in the following ways : 



(a) By being of educational value in 

 demonstrating what may be accomplished. 



(b) By properly utilizing waste or non- 

 agricultural lands in the production of 

 timber. 



(c) By conserving our waters through 

 the protection of our watersheds and steep 

 slopes. 



(3) The forest interests and policy of a 

 State where large forest reserves are a 

 possibility, should be safeguarded from 

 politics by being supervised by a non- 

 political board, a majority of whose mem- 

 bers are preferably named in the law as oc- 

 cupying certain positions, such as heads of 

 educational institutions or other particularly 

 well known, stable and public spirited bodies 

 or organizations that take an interest in 

 true forestry work. 



(4) State forest reserves should be under 

 tlie direct management of a technically 

 trained forester or one with adequate train- 

 ing for successful management. 



(5) State forests should be protected 

 from fire by instituting a definite forest fire 

 policy. Forest patrols, fire lines, telephone 

 communication, and fire fighting equipment, 

 etc., should be had where possible. Ade- 

 quate fire protection is absolutely essential 

 for success. 



(6) To secure fire protection a force of 

 State forest rangers should be employed. 

 These rangers should perform or superin- 

 tend all other work connected with the 

 proper administration of State forest 

 reserves such as road and trail building, 

 planting, timber cutting, etc., under proper 

 supervision of the forester in charge. 



(7) The forestry board should have the 

 authority to employ all necessary assistance 

 for the protection and management of State 

 forest reserves, and also to utilize by sale 

 or otherwise all the natural resources of 

 such reserves including timber in such a 

 manner that the forests thereon may be 

 maintained in a productive condition. 



The discussion was continued by R. 

 S. Conklin, Commissioner of Forestry 

 of Pennsylvania, who spoke of the gen- 

 erally recognized necessity for the crea- 

 tion of State forests and the difficulty 

 of creating a sentiment that will permit 

 their creation and maintenance. He 

 stated that in 1893 the first legislation 

 was secured in Pennsylvania recogniz- 

 ing the necessity of forestry work ; but 

 that it was seven years after this first 

 act was passed before the State actually 

 secured the first acre of forest reserve 

 land. He detailed the various steps 

 that have been taken, all leading up to 

 the present comprehensive plan, an" 

 urged the necessity for much mo-- 

 work and much more legislation 

 in addition to that already placed 

 •on the statute books of Pennsyl- 



vania, laying particular stress upon tl' 

 point that the States themselves must 

 very largely work out their own salvp 

 tion, and that the Federal Government 

 can not and should not be looked to 

 altogether, although cooperation of 

 State and Federal Governments is ad- 

 visable. During the course of discus- 

 sion that followed his remarks, Mr 

 Conklin stated that Pennsylvania has 

 received from its forest reserves reve- 

 nue amounting to about $22,000, and 

 that within a few years it was confi- 

 dently expected that a considerable an- 

 nual revenue would be received from 

 these reserves. Doctor Rothrock, Rob- 

 ert C. Lippincott, of Philadelphia, and 

 others took up the discussion, which 

 continued until adjournment. 



