REPORT. 



The Forest Commissioner presents his first Annual Report 

 with considerable embarrassment, as the work was entirely 

 new in this State and nearly so all over the United States. 

 The law was approved the 25th day of March, 1892. But 

 little aid could be obtained from the reports of forest commis- 

 sioners of other states as it was not in many instances in other 

 states the great object to protect growing timber. It is some- 

 what doubtful whether the average citizen really and truly 

 estimates the 



IMPORTANCE OF PROTECTIXG OUR FORESTS 

 from the great enemy "Fire." The great and important 

 industry of Maine, except agriculture is our lumber interest. 

 In nearly all the states except New England and New York 

 no account is made of groiving timber, when once cut over 

 the timber is gone. But in Maine our growing timber is 

 nearly all we have. It may be safely said that one-third of 

 our population are dependent upon the products of our forests 

 for employment. Our whole line of frontier towns from New 

 Hampshire line to New Brunswick are largely maintained by 

 the lumbering interest, in fact many of our little back towns 

 would never have been settled but for the lumbering interest. 

 Lumbermen furnish nearly all the market the farmers in these 

 towns have for their surplus products. If the lumbering 

 industry should by any unforeseen calamity be permanently 

 ruined, abandoned farms would be the rule on our frontier. 



