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Declaration of Principles and Policy 



of the 



American Forestry Association 



IT IS A VOLUNTARY organization for the inculcation and spread of a forest policy on 

 a scale adequate for our economic needs, and any person is eligible for membership. 



IT IS INDEPENDENT, has no official connection with any Federal or State department 

 or policy, and is devoted to a public service conducive to national prosperity. 



IT ASSERTS THAT forestry means the propagation and care of forests for the produc- 

 tion of timber as a crop; protection of watersheds; utilization of non-agricultural soil; 

 use of forests for public recreation. 



IT DECLARES THAT FORESTRY is of immense importance to the people; that the 

 census of 1913 shows our forests annually supply over one and a quarter billion dollars' 

 worth of products; employ 735,000 people; pay $367,000,000 in wages; cover 550,- 

 000,000 acres unsuited for agriculture; regulate the distribution of water; prevent ero- 

 sion of lands; and are essential to the beauty of the country and the health of the nation. 



IT RECOGNIZES THAT forestry is an industry limited by economic conditions; that 

 private owners should be aided and encouraged by investigations, demonstrations, 

 and educational work, since they cannot be expected to practice forestry at a financial 

 loss; that Federal and State governments should undertake scientific forestry upon 

 national and State forest reserves for the benefit of the public. 



IT WILL DEVOTE its influence and educational facilities to the development of public 

 thought and knowledge along these practical lines. 



It Will Support These Policies: 



FEDERAL ADMINISTRATION AND MANAGEMENT of national forests; adequate 

 appropriations for their care and management; Federal cooperation with the States, 

 especially in forest fire protection. 



STATE ACTIVITY by acquirement of forest lands; organization for fire protection: en- 

 couragement of forest planting by communal and private owners; non-political depart- 

 mentally independent forest organization, with liberal appropriations for these purposes. 



FOREST FIRE PROTECTION by Federal, State and fire protective agencies, and its 

 encouragement and extension, individually and by cooperation; without adequate 

 fire protection all other measures for forest crop production will fail. 



FOREST PLANTING by Federal and State governments and long-lived corporations 

 and acquirement of waste lands for this purpose; and also planting by private owners, 

 where profitable, and encouragement of natural regeneration. 



FOREST TAXATION REFORMS removing unjust burdens from owners of growing timber. 



CLOSER UTILIZATION in logging and manufacturing without loss to owner; aid to 

 lumbermen in achieving this. 



CUTTING OF MATURE TIMBER where and as the domestic market demands it, except 

 on areas maintained for park or scenic purposes, and compensation of forest owners 

 for loss suffered through protection of watersheds, or on behalf of any public interest. 



EQUAL PROTECTION to the lumber industry and to public interests in legislation 

 affecting private timberland operations, recognizing that lumbering is as legitimate 

 and necessary as the forests themselves. 



CLASSIFICATION by experts of lands best suited for farming and those best suited for 

 forestry; and liberal national and State appropriations for this work. 



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