The South's Concern in the Appalachian Project 

 and How to Make Its Influence Felt 



By JOHN H. FINNEY, Secretary Appalachian National Forest Association 



THE Appalachian Forest Project, is non-agricultural, is the natural home 



that proposed plan whereby the of the hardwoods, where they most 



National Government shall ac- flourish and best grow, and where, in 



quire a forest area in the Southern the main, o;//v trees can grow ; (6) that 



Appalachians of about 5,000,000 acres here is contained practically the only 



lying at the headwaters of the impor- remaining stand of hardwoods in the 



tant southern streams, is no new thing. Nation ; (c) that here is practically the 



In one form or another, as a great only remaining source of supply of 

 "National Park," "National Forest Re- hardwoods for the future; and equally 

 serve," etc., it has been proposed for as important, (d) that this area is being 

 nearly twenty-five years ; it has been be •• cut and devastated as rapidly as lum- 

 fore the Congress for the past ten years bering skill and ample capital can do 

 at almost every session, asking for na- it, and that a continuance of these op- 

 tional recognition as a national duty erations, under present conditions and 

 owed by the Nation to itself. It has, at the present rate, means the practical 

 in all this time, received the earnest extinction of this whole timber area and 

 support and indorsement of patriotic industry in from fifteen to twentv 

 men, women, and national leaders years ! 



everywhere, of associations, scientists, The second fact of the South's con- 

 engineers, geologists, agriculturists, cern is that this vast area lying in eight 

 foresters, commercial bodies, naviga- states is an interstate problem involv- 

 tion, power, and manufacturing inter- ing, were it solely an intrastate duty 

 ests, almost without number. Testimony to be performed by the states, the simul- 

 that cannot be disputed as to the value taneous cooperation of these eight sep- 

 of it ; as to its vital necessity to the arate states, to render any action cf- 

 South and to the Nation, has been fective — but it is more than that ; for 

 piled up in an absolutely convincing while the states do have a grave duty 

 manner, that this area should be ac- and a heavy responsibility (which they 

 quired — two Presidents of the United must in time assume in forest con- 

 States have earnestly recommended and servation), the largest duty rests on 

 worked for it. the Nation, because of its guardianship 



The only unconvinced body seems to of the streams, 

 be the Congress of the United States ! See how this is true in just one il- 



Let us look into the basis for the lustration: In North Carolina rise the 



South's concern : The first, because important streams such as the Broad, 



most obvious, is the timber question. the Wateree, Pedee, Saluda, Pacolct, 



The South contains, in its 234,000,000 Tugaloo, Savannah, etc. Their head- 

 acres of timber lands, nearly one-half waters are not navigable ; they are small 

 of the Nation's remaining, and its most streams in North Carolina: and, while 

 valuable, timber. It contains, in the useful for some power in North Caro- 

 largest portion of the 75,000,000 acres lina, they reach their greatest useful- 

 lying within the Appalachian range, ness for power and their use for navi- 

 four important timber facts: gation solely within, and for the bene- 



(a) That this area, which in the main fit of, South Carolina. Surely, North 

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