FORESTRY IN MASSACHUSETTS 



By F, W, RANE, State Forester 



IT IS with a degree of pleasure that 

 I am able to report that our Massa- 

 chusetts people have been very con- 

 siderate of the recommendations of 

 their state forester (hn'ing the past few 

 years, and that the people generally of 

 the good old Bay State are offering 

 cordial and hearty cooperation toward 

 establishing a definite constructive and 

 practical forest policy. 



One of the greatest hindrances the 

 writer had to contend with in beginning 

 his work in this state was forest fires. 

 Here, as elsewhere throughout the 

 Union, this demon was running ram- 

 pant. A campaign was begun in the 

 fall of 1906, and during the winter fol- 

 lowing the legislature enacted our pres- 

 ent state and town forest warden 

 system. 



The jMassachusetts forest warden 

 system is headed by the state forester. 

 Each board of selectmen of the towns 

 is required to appoint a forest warden 

 who. in turn, must be approved by the 

 state forester. Each warden is there- 

 fore responsible to both the state and 

 town. The forest warden has the au- 

 thority to appoint his own deputies and 

 to discharge them. He is clothed with 

 sufficient power to represent the town's 

 forest interests. The state forester re- 

 quests that the selectmen appoint a 

 public-spirited and broad-minded per- 

 son for this office. This law is already 

 in effect, and from one year's expe- 

 rience the results accomplished have 

 exceeded expectations. With a corps 

 of 350 forest wardens (one in each 

 town and city) each with an organized 

 working force of deputies and sympa- 

 thetic, public-spirited backing, the state 

 forester has an army of men thorough- 

 ly enlisted in bettering our Bay State 

 forestry conditions. As a result of this 



organization more valuable data were 

 received relative to forestry matters 

 during the past year than has been 

 possible heretofore. 



The enactment of a bill on reforesta- 

 tion whereby the state forester is given 

 a definite appropriation of $10,000 a 

 year for future work along this line 

 alone marks the beginning of a practi- 

 cal demonstration of forest planting 

 throughout the state. Over half a mil- 

 lion of trees were set by private indi- 

 viduals last year, and the prospects are 

 very bright for at least a million and a 

 half being set this spring. It is believed 

 our reforestation law is well adapted to 

 this state. The state forester already 

 has about 1,300 acres on hand for 

 planting. 



A forest fire protection act was 

 passed last year by our general court, 

 that is bound to accomplish great good. 

 One of the greatest drawlaacks to a 

 stalwart, progressive movement in for- 

 estry is the destruction and wanton 

 waste caused by fire. This act central- 

 izes authority in the state and town 

 with the idea of determined results. 



A code of regulations as to fires set 

 by railroads has been passed upon to 

 the satisfaction of all parties concerned, 

 and it is believed that when the Massa- 

 chusetts policy has been perfected our 

 present great losses from this cause of 

 forest fires will be minimized. 



jMassachusetts has recently passed a 

 law exempting from taxation all planta- 

 tions of young forest trees for a period 

 of ten years after the trees have grown 

 two feet on the average in height and 

 stand six by six feet. 



The state forester, forest wardens, 

 and fish and game deputies are all 

 clothed with the power to arrest with- 

 out a warrant all persons found in the 



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