The Problem of Forest Conservation 



Bv W. B. Greelev, Director de the American Forestry Association 



TJIE important question about forest con- 

 servation now is : Will it break down in 

 the face of concrete business necessities." 

 Much has been done to put the public forests 

 upon sound footing. Marked progress has been 

 made in the development of State forest activities 

 and in bringing about efifective cooperation of 

 many different agencies for preventing forest 

 fires. But the critical problem of the SO per cent 

 of private timber in the United States has 

 scarcely been touched. We can neither "])reacli, 

 print, pray, nor ballot" the owner of timberland 

 into the practice of forestry when it does not pav. 

 Forest conservation must come to grips with 

 this problem sooner or later. Its first task is to 

 assemble the facts and look them squarely in the 

 face — how far the status of wood has changed 

 from a necessity to a competitor for a place in 

 the market, what it costs not only to grow wood 

 but to hold and protect merchantable timber 

 which cannot be marketed for many years, and 

 what readjustments of our economic conceptions 

 may be necessary to permit the thrifty use and 

 perpetuation of the timber resources of the cnun- 

 try. The business difficulties and needs of the 

 forest-using industries must be understood. 

 Means must be found wherel)y the handling of 

 their resources can Ije adapted tn the larger, 

 permanent interests of the conntry: liut thev 

 must be sought thniugh mutual recognitior,. bv 

 the public and the forest-using industries, of the 

 economic well-being of each other and, if need 

 be, by mutual sacrifices. The first thing to be 

 done is to get the situation clearlv understood 

 by everyone. 



To this task forest conservation should addrc 



w. B. greelev, wasiii.ngton, d. c. 



Director of the ,\nicrican Forestry Association. 



It- 



self and prove its rijrht to lie written 



sporadic outlmrst of enthusiasm, lint a sustained effort 



down, not as a to make the most of national resources. 



Tree Planting Along the Lincoln Highway 



Bv (iRAi.i-: I\(ii'i:r .\'e\itt 



OXE of the most extensive enterprises in roadside section of the highwav is under the direction of the 



planting ever undertaken is that of the Lincoln conservation chairman of its own women's clubs. The 



Highway which extends from ocean to ocean, a organization from New York to California is complete 



distance of 3,400 miles. The work is being done under and in manv of the states, the trees, shrubs and flowers to 



the direction of the General Federation of Women's be planted ha\e been selected. In New York State, the 



Clubs. The planting is to be individual and e;ich state plan for the "Sunrise Entrance" of the Highway in- 



