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AMERICAN FORESTRY 



mandatory acquirement of private lands will fail ; ( 1 ) 

 because the public has not been convinced that it is 

 necessary; and (2) for the reason that sufficiently strong 

 opposition would immediately develop to not only defeat 

 such a policy, but to jeopardize any forest ijolicy. 



One hears a great deal about the enormous areas of 

 cut-over land more suitable for forest growth than agri- 

 culture. If this is the case, is it not a logical step to as- 

 certain the amount and condition of such land and re- 

 deem it before taking over the commercial timber, which 

 is to supply the demand for lumber? If the private 

 forest lands are to be reduced to a cut-over condition 

 before the government, by mandatory action or other- 

 wise, steps in and imposes methods and systems which 

 will reproduce such forests, why should we not start 

 with the lands which are in a cut-over condition today ? 

 To be sure, the expense of regeneration would be less if 

 the timber was cut more carefully to start with, but if 

 we have some 200,000,000 acres which are practically 

 unproductive at present, is it not the truest kind of con- 

 servation to put this into productivity first? At the 

 same time, every possible effort might be made in the 

 way of tax and fire legislation to prevent existing forests 

 from becoming waste when cut over, this probability 

 being helped by increasing lumber and stumpage values. 



A suggestion, which I certainly hope will not be mis- 

 understood, concerns the co-operative basis necessary in 



developing an acceptable and practical policy. Since 

 private timberland owners are primarily interested in the 

 policy which has been outlined in your "Principles of 

 Legislation," would not the whole matter be better re- 

 ceived, and get a fairer hearing if these private owners 

 were consulted and their opinions and co-operation asked, 

 both as timberland owners and as citizens, who have the 

 best interests of the country at heart? 



The gulf which has always existed between business 

 interests and the government, it seems to me, could be 

 narrowed in this case if the timber owners were made 

 more fully cognizant of the situation as regards a na- 

 tional timber supply, and the federal and state officials in 

 turn learn of the responsibilities pertaining to the use 

 and returns on capital invested in timber. The govern- 

 ment official can whole-heartedly consider the best good 

 of the people as a whole because his check com.es regu- 

 larly from the United States Treasury out of funds sup- 

 plied by these same people. The business man, on the 

 other hand, may be equally interested in public welfare, 

 but in order to live and to conserve the capital entrusted 

 to his care, must assume responsibilities and follow 

 policies which are often criticized because the critics 

 have an entirely different point of view. 



This expression of my personal views is in the spirit 

 of helpfulness and in keeping with the request for a 

 frank discussion. 



PUBLICITY EDUCATION NECESSARY 

 BY R. S. MADDOX, STATE FORESTER OF TENNESSEE 



T UNQUALIFIEDLY concur with Colonel Graves' 

 -*■ opinion that there must be a strong national policy in 

 order to control adequately the great issues confronting 

 us today. 



Colonel Graves has covered the main problems in a 

 very clear and thorough manner. In connection with 

 this big plan I would suggest that in Tennessee and the 

 entire south, publicity education direct from the seat 

 of the Federal Government, co-operating with the States, 

 is necessary in this scheme. Tennessee is not different 

 from many other States in permitting the neglect of her 

 forested lands and timber problems through lack of knowl- 

 edge. A sure sentiment is growing but it needs co-opera- 

 tion which culminates in action. This result, I believe, 

 will be achieved most rapidly through a systematic co- 

 operative campaign between Federal and State Govern- 

 ments. 



Reclamation of waste lands in Tennessee is one of the 



big issues in forestry. It is most vital to the State and 

 in addition the results from reclamation projects are 

 more or less rapid and wholly successful. These ex- 

 periments being carried on in different sections with 

 individual landowners help to make a substantial senti- 

 ment for forestry and thus help other forestry problems 

 which we all recognize as of paramount importance. This 

 phase of forestry should be included as a specialty wher- 

 ever possible in any national policy. 



Stimulation of forestry on lands under private owner- 

 ship as stressed by Colonel Graves cannot be too much 

 cmjihasized as applied to Tennessee. Here, with the 

 exception of State and Federal owned lands compara- 

 tively small in acreage, the holdings are in the hands of 

 individuals and companies. These privately owned lands 

 thus embrace the great bulk of the natural resources and 

 should secure, therefore, direct effective co-operative 

 assistance from the Federal Government. 



A LUMBERMAN'S VIEWPOINT 

 BY EVERITT G. GRIGGS 

 PRESIDENT, ST. PAUL & TACOMA LUMBER COMPANY 



T BELIEVE that a national forest policy should be much theory is advanced in matters of this kind that 



•*• established by the co-operation of the Forestry De- men who are engaged in the business become disgusted 



partment and practical operators who are continually with the plans advanced. It certainly would seem that 



facing taxation problems and operating costs. So the history of the lumber business, as it has spread across 



