rOEEST SERVICE. 293 



obvious measures, which will go far toward bringing up the growth 

 of wood in the United States to a volume more commensurate with 

 our present requirements, together with the extension of public 

 ownership of forest lands in the types and localities where the task 

 is bey ofid what may reasonably be expected of private ownership. 



Federal legislation covering these four or five essential points was 

 proposed during the last Congress and received the indorsement of 

 the President. The nation-wide inquiry now being conducted by a 

 select committee of the United States Senate not only has been 

 fruitful in bringing out the specific forest conditions and problems 

 in the several regions, but also has brought to light in a striking 

 fashion the extent to which many owners of timberland in nearly all 

 parts of the country are ready to engap-e in the business of growing 

 timber, if public aid can be extended in the protection of forest lands 

 from fire and in the adjustment of forest taxes. The investigation 

 conducted by the Senate committee is one of the most helpful and 

 stimulating steps that the National Government has taken in attack- 

 ing the reforestation problem of the United States as a whole, and 

 it is disclosing beyond doubt or question that the time is at hand for 

 enormous progress in timber growing if public agencies will give 

 the landowner a fair chance. This should be the aim of the next 

 step in our national forestry policy. 



FORESTRY IN ALASKA. 



The use of the timber resources of the national forests in Alaska 

 has been increasing as the forest industries of tlie Territory have 

 steadily developed. There was cut under commercial sales on these 

 national forests during the calendar year 1921, 14,316,000 board 

 feet of timber ; during the calendar year 1922, 23,943,000 board feet ; 

 and during the first half of the calendar year 1923, 18,809,000 board 

 feet, with every indication that the cut for the full calendar year will 

 largely exceed that of any previous year. Not only has the cutting 

 of national forest timber for local use been increasing, but there has 

 been a continuation of the export of the better grades of lumber to 

 the markets of the United States, to Australia, and to Europe. The 

 small pulp mill already built on the Tongass Forest resumed produc- 

 tion in 1922, and has been making frequent shipments of pulp to 

 paper mills in Washington and California. 



At the close of the fiscal year the Forest Service was advertising 

 for sale 334,000,000 cubic feet (equivalent to approximately 2,000,- 

 000,000 board feet) on the Tongass National Forest in response to an 

 application from a firm which proposed to build a pulp mill on 

 Thomas Bay, utilizing one of the best water-power sites in south- 

 eastern Alaska. A satisfactory bid and deposit were received from 

 the applicant, and the timber has been awarded under a contract 

 which requires the construction within tlie next two years of a pulp 

 or paper mill of at least 100 tons daily capacity. 



The preliminary examination of the water-power resources of the 

 Tongass National Forest, in cooperation with the Federal Water 

 Power Commission, was completed, and a bulletin is ready for pub- 

 lication which will make available in convenient form the known 

 data on the water powers of the Tongass Forest suitable for the 

 manufacture of pulp and paper. Water powers in addition to those 



