IMPORTANT FORESTRY LEGISLATION 



225 



the bill were Senator Smith, T. B. 

 Robertson, Delegate from Northamp- 

 ton, Dr. Lambeth of the University of 

 Virginia, J. Girvin Peters, represent- 

 ing the Forest Service, and Samuel B. 

 Detwiler, representing the American 

 Forestry Association. 



The bill, as originally introduced, 

 provided for a separate forestry board 

 and an appropriation of $10,000 per 

 year, but the sentiment of the State 

 appears to be against the formation of 

 new commissions. Accordingly a sec- 

 ond bill was introduced by Senator 

 Smith, placing the forestry work under 

 the direction of the State Geological 

 Commission (composed of the Gov- 

 ernor, the president of the University 

 of Virginia, the president of the Vir- 

 ginia Polytechnic Institute, the presi- 

 dent of the Virginia Military Institute 

 and one citizen from the State at large) . 

 Until 1916, the bill provides that the 

 expenses incurred in the organization 

 and operation of the forestry depart- 

 ment are to be paid out of the budget of 

 the University of Virginia. 



The other provisions of the bill are 

 very similar to those in the law now in 

 successful operation in Kentucky. The 

 principal powers conferred on the for- 

 estry commission by the bill are as 

 follows : 



1. The appointment of a technically 

 trained man as State forester. 



2. The commission has the power 

 to purchase lands suitable for forest 

 reserves at a price not exceeding $10 

 per acre. It may establish a forest 

 nursery and distribute seeds and seed- 

 lings to citizens under proper regula- 

 tions. It also has the power to sell the 

 dead, mature or large growth of trees 

 on the forest reservations, and also the 

 mineral rights. 



3. The commission is empowered to 

 carry on investigations in forest manage- 



ment, to take measures to preventt he 

 destruction of forests by fire (including 

 cooperation with U. S. Forest Service 

 and the appointment of forest wardens), 

 and to assist public and private owners 

 in the protection, management and re- 

 placement of timber. It is also pro- 

 vided that they shall investigate the 

 streams and navigable rivers to deter- 

 mine methods, means and cost of im- 

 proving the same, of preventing their 

 pollution, of conserving the water sup- 

 ply, and of developing the power and 

 other features by which the streams 

 and rivers may be made of most value 

 to the State. 



4. The State Forester has supervi- 

 sion and direction of all forest interests 

 in the jurisdiction of the State, includ- 

 ing charge of forest wardens, enforce- 

 ment of fire and other laws for the 

 protection of woodlands, carrying on 

 investigations of the forests and waters 

 of the State, and of an educational 

 campaign in the interest of forestry. 



The patrons of the bill in the House 

 of Delegates are John M. Steck, W. T, 

 Oliver, N. E. Spessard, F. B. Robertson, 

 J. H. C. Grasty, R. H. WiUis and 0. J. 

 Duke. 



The need in Virginia of an organized 

 forestry department is so apparent and 

 the bill provides for such a very modest 

 start, that it is to be hoped that favor- 

 able action will be taken before the 

 close of the legislative session on March 

 14. That there is much interest in the 

 measure is shown by the fact that the 

 present bill has had a favorable hearing 

 and appears to have the approval of a 

 great variety of interests from all parts 

 of the State. Forestry bills introduced 

 in 1906 and 1908, by Col. Eugene C. 

 Massie, and ably championed by him, 

 could not be brought to a hearing be- 

 cause of lack of interest. 



Dr. B. E. Fernow, Dean of the Forest Faculty of the University of Toronto, m President of the 

 Society of Canadian Foresters, a flourishing association of some fifty members, and'was also recently 

 elected President of the Society of American Foresters. The statement was inadvertently made m 

 the February issue of A M ERICA N FoRESTR Y that this latter organization was the only one of professional 

 foresters in the Western hemisphere. Dr. Fernow calls attention to the fact that there are two. 



The North-Eastern Forestry Company has moved tts main office from New Haven, Conn., to the 

 company's nurst,ry at Cheshire. 



