THE PRESENT SITUATION OF FORESTRY' 



By Chief Forester Henry S. Graves 



REVIEW of the work of for- 

 estry in this country during the 

 past year shows that, in many di- 

 rections, there has been substantial 

 progress and positive achievements. On 

 the other hand, the continued organized 

 attacks on the National Forest system, 

 and the efforts to break it down or crip- 

 ple it, present a situation of real danger 

 which the country should realize and 

 vigorously meet. We have before us a 

 task of constructive activity in practical 

 work, extending and building on foun- 

 dations already laid ; we have also the 

 task of preventing a destructive attack 

 upon National forestry. 



During the past few years public in- 

 terest in forestry has been rapidly 

 changing from a mere inquiry in regard 

 to its purpose to a vigorous demand for 

 practical results. This more intelligent 

 public sentiment is now finding its ex- 

 pression in a growing appreciation of 

 the need of better forest laws, greater 

 State appropriation for fire control, and 

 increasing interest in forest protection 

 by private timberland owners. It often 

 happens that public attention is caught 

 only by the most striking new de- 

 partures and developments, such as a 

 change in public policy or important leg- 

 islation, while but little is known of the 

 steady advance in applied forestry. The 

 past year has been signalized not so 

 much by new undertakings as by 

 marked accomplishment in the effective 

 carrying out of work previously inaugu- 

 rated. 



progress in national forestry 



Every year shows increased efficiency 

 in the administration of the National 

 Forests. The most conspicuous advance 

 has been in organized fire protection. 

 The disastrous year of 1910 taught 

 many lessons. While that disaster 

 could not have been avoided in the ab- 



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sence of better transportation and com- 

 munication facilities and without a 

 larger patrol force than the Forest 

 Service could put into the field, it never- 

 theless showed how, even under the 

 present conditions, the work of protec- 

 tion could be made more effective. Full 

 use was made of the experience gained 

 in that year, and during the past two 

 seasons the loss by fire has been kept 

 down to a comparatively small amount 

 through the efficient system now in 

 force. The problem, however, of fire 

 protection on the National Forests is 

 far from being solved. There still re- 

 main to be built some 80,000 miles of 

 trails, 45,000 miles of telephone lines, 

 many miles of roads, many lookout sta- 

 tions, and other improvements, before 

 even the primary system of control will 

 have been established. The funds at 

 the disposal of the Forest Service are 

 still inadequate to employ the patrolmen 

 needed to meet more than an ordinary 

 emergency. There is even yet danger, 

 therefore, that in the case of a great 

 drought, like that of 1910, some fires 

 might gain the mastery and a similar 

 disaster follow. 



An account of the progress of the 

 work of the Forest Service in the ad- 

 ministration of the National Forests 

 would be an enumeration of the differ- 

 ent activities in which the work is going 

 on with constantly growing effective- 

 ness. Many of the local difficulties of 

 administration are rapidly disappearing. 

 This is due to the steadily closer co- 

 ordination of the interests of the Gov- 

 ernment with those of the people living 

 in and using the Forests. JMore and 

 more these people are coming to appre- 

 ciate that their interests and those of 

 the National Forests are one. With a 

 better understanding of the aims and 

 methods of the Forest Service, local 

 difficulties are disappearing and local 

 support of the Service is largely replac- 



