FORESTRY LAW FOR VIRGINIA 



SUCCESS has crowned the efforts 

 of the friends of forestry in Vir- 

 ginia, who were inspired and 

 vigorously aided by the Ameri- 

 can Forestry Association, to secure the 

 passage of a forestry law in that State, 

 ably directed by Senator R. S. B. Smith, 

 the father of the bill, the campaign 

 which secured its passage not only was 

 successful but it has resulted in arous- 

 ing state wide interest in forestry. 

 The bill described in the American 

 Forestry for March, passed the Senate 

 unanimously, and the House by a vote 

 of 86 to 3, and has been signed by Gov- 

 ernor Stuart. Virginia will now have 

 such forest protection as it has so badly 

 needed for many years past, and it is 

 earnestly hoped that the operation 

 of the law for the next two years wdll 

 arouse the entire State to demand from 

 the next Assembly, in 1916, a more 

 complete forestry law and one which will 

 provide for a liberal appropriation for 

 the thorough development of the forests 

 of the State. 



The forests of Virginia supply the 

 raw materials for an industry which is 

 exceeded in the value of its production 

 only by agriculture. Over 3,500 saw- 

 mills operate in the State. The total 

 amount of wood contributed annually 

 by the forests exclusive of that for 

 domestic use has a value of about 

 $25,000,000. Probably but one-third 

 of this sum went to the owners of the 

 timber, the remainder going principally 

 to the wage earner. 



Protection of the forests which supply 

 the timber for these products is of 

 fundamental importance. Fire is the 

 forest's greatest enemy. The damage 

 from fire in Virginia has been enormous. 

 Probably as much timber has been 

 killed by fire or burned up as has been 



utilized. Thousands of acres are burned 

 over annually and the normal loss each 

 year by the injury to and destruction 

 of mature timber is at least $350,000. 

 To this must be added the losses from 

 the destruction of yoimg growth, deter- 

 ioration of the soil, slower growth of the 

 timber, injurious effect on water re- 

 sources, interruption of business, and 

 depreciation of other property. 



Virginia has a productive forest area 

 of about 15,000,000 acres. On this area 

 as a whole it is safe to say that the 

 average annual production per acre 

 does not amount to more than 150 

 board feet of log material. The total 

 annual growth is, therefore, about 

 2,500,000^000 feet, which is less than 

 the annual cut. 



Through the application of forestry, 

 including first of all protection from 

 fire, this annual growth should be more 

 than doubled. If, however, it were 

 increased by only 10 board feet an acre, 

 the annual timber growth of the State 

 would be greater by 150,000,000 board 

 feet. At the low rate of $15 per thousand, 

 this amount, if manufactured, woiild be 

 equivalent to an increased annual 

 income from timber products of $2,2 50,- 

 000, to be distributed not only among 

 the land owners, but mainly among 

 those who furnish the labor and mater- 

 ials for marketing these products. To 

 obtain this increased income the State 

 could well afford to invest an appro- 

 priation of $10,000, $20,000, or even 

 $30,000. Sums such as these would 

 moreover be very cheap insurance for 

 the protection of standing timber esti- 

 mated at upwards of 30,000,000,000 

 board feet, worth over $60,000,000 to the 

 owners, and many times that to the 

 people of the State if saved for manu- 

 facture. 



The Twelfth Annual Meeting of the National Lumber Manufacturers' Association will be held 

 in Chicago in connection with the Forest Products Exposition May 5th and 6th, 1914. A program 

 dealing principally with the merchandising of lumber is being prepared, to include addresses by 

 representative architects, contractors, salesmen, fire insurance interests, retailers, etc. 



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