EDITORIAL 



The Tasks Set Before Us 



npHE forestry movement in America 

 -■■ has passed its first propagandist 

 stage. The awakening of pubhc inter- 

 est has come ; schools, colleges and uni- 

 versities are taking cognizance of this 

 subject; a national forest service, in 

 which we may take pride, has become 

 a permanent part of the administra- 

 tive branch of the government ; many of 

 the states have established similar de- 

 partments ; we are fast coming to a 

 knowledge of our forest resources, their 

 possibilities and requirements. 



In bringing about all this the Ameri- 

 can Forestry Association, which holds 

 its thirtieth annual meeting in Washing- 

 ton on the twelfth and thirteenth of 

 January has had a large and honorable 

 part. It led the w^ay in the organiza- 

 tion of the people to secure these results 

 and its influence, guided steadily b/ 

 the leaders of the movement, has been 

 potent for good through all these years. 



We are facing a new period of real 

 constructive work. Our original thesis 

 — the need of scientific forestry — is con- 

 ceded among intelligent citizens. The 

 next steps are those of education and 

 of the rounding out of our forest policy, 

 establishing the latter, w'hen the right 

 way has been determined, through well- 

 framed state and national laws. 



The first task — that of arousing the 

 people — was not easy. The second is 

 more difficult and demands the applica- 

 tion of highly trained efifort. But the 

 means are at hand for this. The For- 

 est Service ' commands the efforts of 

 highly trained specialists, whose work 

 is partly educational as well as adminis- 

 trative. The same is true of the state 

 services in those commonwealths which 

 have progressed so far as to have them. 

 The various associations, national, state 

 734 



and local need not feel that their work 

 is done. The best is yet before them, 

 but they must not be content with the 

 old methods of agitation and propagand- 

 ism. They must set before themselves 

 definite tasks, educational and practical. 

 Sound knowledge and wise laws, train- 

 ed men to administer, and an informed 

 citizenship to support them are what 

 we need now. 



The general movement for conserva- 

 tion of natural resources, which is be- 

 ing broadened into a general overhaul- 

 ing of our economic methods, has taken 

 a strong hold upon the country. The 

 details of its application may be criti- 

 cized by interested persons, but the 

 people believe in it. In this movement 

 because of its broad relationship and 

 because it led the way, forestry occu- 

 pies a central place. 



This is the way the American For- 

 estry Association looks at its work, with 

 its face to the front, preparing for a 

 larger usefulness even than in the past. 

 To the work of education much atten- 

 tion must be directed and in this num- 

 ber of the magazine will be found, we 

 believe, the most complete and authori- 

 tative list that has yet been published 

 of the schools, colleges, and universities 

 in the United States that teach forestry 

 in some form. We expect to publish 

 much material of a directly educational 

 character during the coming year. 



In addition to such work, we wish 

 to see a rounding out of our national 

 and state forest policy along the broad- 

 est lines, so that waste land in this 

 country of ours will be reduced to a 

 minimum and water, soil, and climate 

 preserved by ample and well managed 

 forests under national, state, municipal, 

 and private ownership. 



Is not the task sufficient and worth 

 while ? Do you not want to share in it ? 



