A NATIONAL FOREST POLICY 



1475 



When the time comes that owners of forest lands, unfit 

 for other purposes, recognize that it will pay them to 

 devote these lands to their proper economic use as speedily 

 as possible, this problem is going to solve itself. It will 



not be solved by a denial of fundamental economic facts 

 or through perversion and distortion in order to justify 

 false economics invoked with intent to avoid this logical 

 conclusion. 



CLASSIFICATION OF LANDS AND OUR FOREST POLICY 



BY GEORGE DROLET 



'y 11 ERE is no question, but that the oral and written 

 -*• discussion, usually in agreement concerning the 

 vita! need of a national forest policy, is bearing fruit in 

 important suggestions and criticisms looking to a forest 

 jjolicy safeguarding the present as well as future gen- 

 erations. 



The article ajipearing in the September issue of Ameri- 

 can Forestry under the heading "Forest Economics: 

 Some Thoughts On An Old Subject," by Wilson Comp- 

 ton, appears to suggest valuable ideas, and reminds us all 

 of serious obstacles in the path of a real far-reaching and 

 constructive forest policy. 



The basic principle dwelt on by Mr. Compton, of land 

 classification, seems to me to be one of the most import- 

 ant problems confronting our almost united efforts to 

 realize a practical solution of the much talked forest 

 policy. 



We all know that certain regions are better adapted to 

 forestry than are others. We also must admit that these 

 other regions offer national potential possibilities over a 

 long span of years far greater than would forestry. While 

 the need is urgent for a policy beginning now, yet we 

 must begin on a sound basis by a careful selection of our 

 future forests in order that we may avoid an economic 

 blunder of far-reaching consequences. 



BOX MANUFACTURERS RESOLVE 



'T'HE National Association of Box Manufacturers at 

 -*- a meeting held in New York City on October lo 

 adopted the following resolution with respect to a 

 National Forestry Program : 



Whereas, Wood is a basic material not only for our 

 own but also for other fundamental industries in this 

 country and countless articles made from wood are a 

 daily necessity in the life of the people and 



Whereas, Our forest capital is being rapidly used up 

 without a provision for future supply in any way ade- 

 (|uate to certain future needs, and 



Whereas, There is a sufficient area of land in the 

 United States better adapted to the growing of timber 

 than of any other croj) to produce under proper man- 

 agement an annual yield of forest products in ample 

 supply for the needs of our industries. Be it 



Resolved, That the officers of the National Association 

 of Box ^Manufacturers be authorized and directed to do 

 all in their power throtigh co-operation with the mem- 

 bers of this organization and other similar organizations 

 and ])ublic agencies to promote the adoption of a National 

 forest program carried out by the State and National 

 Governments which shall include as its cardinal features : 



First : A revision of the forest taxation laws so that 

 the owner of land who wishes to hold it for successive 

 timber crops may have such land separately classified 

 with the payment of only a small annual tax upon the land 

 itself and a final payment of stumpage tax at the time 

 of cutting ; the establishment of forest nurseries and 

 the preparation of forest working plans by means of 

 which public advice and assistance the land owners may 

 be enabled to secure timber crops of the greatest quantity 

 and value. 



Second; There should be a very great and vigorous 

 extension of Federal and State co-operation with forest 

 owners in the prevention of forest fires. While it may 

 not be expedient for the public to compel the owner of 

 land to grow timber upon it in case he does not wish 

 to do so the public has the unquestioned right to require 

 the owner to handle his timber cutting operations so 

 that they will not become a public menace. In case the 

 owner of land which upon competent examination has 

 been classified as suitable only for the growing of timber 

 refuses to take advantage of relief from taxation and 

 public assistance in the growing of timber or public re- 

 quirements as to the safe-guarding of the property of 

 others, such land should be acquired by the public at a 

 fair valuation and made part of the system of public 

 forests. 



Third: Provision should be made for a large exten- 

 sion of forest planting upon land already held by the 

 State and National Governments for forestry purposes. 

 The growing of timber is a long-time undertaking and 

 no matter how soon nor how extensively large scale plant- 

 ing operations be started, there is grave danger that we 

 cannot sufficiently bridge the gap between existing and 

 future supplies of wood products. 



Fourth : Our present public forests, situated chiefly 

 in the West, contain some 135,000,000 acres, but at least 

 50,000,000 acres of this total does not carry timber of 

 merchantable value, .\mple precedent for the enlarge- 

 ment of these forests by the purchase of cut-over land 

 has been established during the past few years by the 

 purchase of more than 1,000,000 acres of forest land in 

 the Eastern mountain regions. Such public purchase of 

 forest land both East and West should be continued by 



