1908 



ANNUAL REPORT OF DIRECTORS 



OD 



call of a conference to consider this 

 question ; the greatest issue, in his 

 judgment, before the American peo- 

 ple. 



The year has witnessed strenuous 

 attacks upon the National Forest pol- 

 icy, notably at the close of the last ses- 

 sion of Congress by Senators from 

 certain Western mountain States, and 

 by the convention held in Denver, Col- 

 orado, June 18 to 20, to discuss the 

 National Forest policy and related 

 questions. Vigorous expressions, 

 however, from individuals, associa- 

 tions, and newspapers in the same 

 States make clear that the critics of the 

 forestry principle and of its adminis- 

 tration by the National Government 

 represent neither the people of the 

 whole United States, whose property 

 the National Forests are, nor even the 

 communities in which they reside. Ex- 

 traordinary publicity to the forestry 

 question has been given by these dis- 

 cussions, the net result being decidedly 

 advantageous to the forestry move- 

 ment. Legislation, it is true, forbid- 

 ding the extension by presidential 

 proclamation of the National Forest 

 area in the States of Washington, 

 Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, 

 and Colorado, was passed. Practical- 

 ly all the land, however, materially 

 necessary for National Forests in the 

 States named was set aside for that 

 purpose before the enactment of this 

 legislation. Furthermore, National 

 Forests have since been established, by 

 proclamation, in other States, as Cali- 

 fornia and Arkansas. The National 

 Forest area has grown from 127,154,- 

 371 acres on December 31, 1906, to 

 162,023,190 acres on January i, 1908; 

 an addition of 34,868,819 acres. The 

 conspicuous success accompanying the 

 administration of this imperial domain 

 is well set forth in the reports of the 

 Secretary of Agriculture and of the 

 Forester. 



A bird's-eye view of the forest situ- 

 ation and of forestry work in the 

 States, aside from the work of asso- 

 ciations and schools, follows : 



Alaine is still cutting timber, the 



cut of last winter being estimated at 

 800,000,000 feet of spruce, and 100,- 

 000,000 of pine. Diligent efforts are 

 made to prevent fires, and the State's 

 record as regards fire prevention is 

 better than for many years. A joint 

 State and Federal investigation has 

 been securing data on the lakes and 

 rivers with a view to conserving wa- 

 terpowers. An act has been passed 

 permitting local officers to take, by 

 eminent domain, five-rod strips along 

 public ways for park purposes. 



New Hampshire has reorganized 

 her forestry commission, and is con- 

 templating a law for establishing a 

 forest office. 



Vermont has established in the Ag- 

 ricultural Experiment Station, at Bur- 

 lington, a State nursery for growing 

 forest tree seedlings, to be furnished 

 for planting in the State at cost. 



Massachusetts seeics to assist land 

 owners to convert practically idle land 

 areas into profitable woodlots. The 

 State Forester distributes literature 

 regarding white pine seed and also a 

 limited number of white pine and white 

 ash trees for planting. The State re- 

 quires spark arrestors on locomotives, 

 the keeping of railroad rights-of-way 

 clear of dead leaves and brush, and 

 authorizes railroads to clear adjacent, 

 unoccupied land. Railroad employees 

 are also required to fight fires. Newly 

 established town officials are held re- 

 sponsible for fighting all fires started 

 by railways, hunters, or careless or 

 malicious persons. 



Connecticut's new fire warden ser- 

 vice is proving effective. This fact is 

 encouraging planting, 350,000 seed- 

 lings having been planted last spring. 

 The State Agricultural Experiment 

 Station, through its Forester, offers 

 advice and aid to owners of woodlands. 



New York State owns 1,347,280 

 acres out of 3,313,564 acres of the 

 Adirondack reserve ; and 92,708 in 

 the Catskill reserve, as against 483,- 

 412 acres privately owned. The so- 

 called Menrtt resolution, looking to 

 a constitutional amendment to per- 

 mit private owners to enter the 

 State forests and construct dams for 



