VOLUME 25 



JULY, 1919 



NUMBER 307 



'mrnz'^ 



.HOUSANDS ARE ASKING WHAT IS BEING DONE TO PER- 

 T I PETUATE OUR FORESTS SO AS TO PREVENT THE EXHAUS- 

 TION AND TO PREVENT TIMBER PRICES FROM BECOMING 



m 



PROHIBITIVE LATER ON. 



S 



HE ANSWER IS THAT THE PROBLEMS OF FOREST PROTEC- 

 TION AND FOREST PERPETUATION ARE NOT BEING MET. 

 NEITHER THE PRESENT NOR THE FUTURE PUBLIC NEEDS 

 FOR FORESTS AND THEIR BENEFITS ARE BEING PROVIDED FOR. 



rrrriE have our national forests and some state for- 



W I ESTS, BUT THEY ARE NOT EXTENSIVE ENOUGH NOR WELL 

 i I ENOUGH DISTRIBUTED TO DO MORE THAN MEET A SMALL 



PART OF OUR FOREST NEEDS. 



SHE BULK OF OUR FORESTS ARE PRIVATELY OWNED, AND 

 THESE ARE NOT BEING ADEQUATELY PROTECTED NOR 

 ARE STEPS BEING TAKEN TO PERPETUATE THEM. DE- 

 STRUCTIVE PROCESSES GO ON UNCHECKED. 



mH MANY PARTS OF THE COUNTRY LITTLE OR NO EFFORT 

 IS MADE EVEN TO PROTECT THE FORESTS FROM 

 FIRE. PRIVATE OWNERS DO NOT TRY TO SECURE NAT- 

 URAL REPLACEMENT OF YOUNG TREES IN PLACE OF THE OLD 

 TIMBER. SUCH FOREST REPRODUCTION AND GROWTH AS 

 OCCURS IS ACCIDENTAL AND IN SPITE OF FOREST ABUSE. 

 ALMOST NONE OF IT IS OBTAINED BY CONSCIOUS EFFORT ON 

 THE PART OF THE OWNERS. THE AGGREGATE OF ALL THE 

 GROWTH IS PROBABLY NOT OVER 30 PER CENT OF WHAT WE CUT, 

 USE, AND DESTROY. 



SN SHORT, WE ARE ACTUALLY USING UP OUR FOREST RE- 

 SOURCES WHEN WE MIGHT HAVE BEEN GROWING FOR- 

 ESTS AT A RATE TO ENABLE US TO CUT THE MATURING 

 TREES FREELY AND WITH CERTAINTY OF A SUSTAINED FOREST 

 WEALTH TO CONTINUE OUR INDUSTRIES AND TO MEET OUR 

 DOMESTIC NEEDS. 



HENRY S. GRAVES, 



FORESTER, U. S. FOREST SERVICE. 



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