42 FOREST commissioner's REPORT. 



THE RELATION AND IMPORTANCE OF OUR 

 FORESTS TO SUMMER TOURISTS, SPORTS- 

 MEN. Etc. 



By George F. Godfrey, Bangor, Me. 



Eoyi. Gyrus A. Packard,, Forest Commissioner, AugxiHa, Me. : 



Dear Sir : — The question to which you refer in your letter of the 

 10th inst. ("the relation and importance of our forests to summer 

 tourists, sportsmen, &c.") is undoubte.ily of great importance ; not 

 alone to the owners of wild laud, but to all those who are benefitted 

 by the lumber industry of the State. 



It is said that the wealth of Switzerland consists in its natural 

 scenery, and there is uo doubt that in a degree Maine, in this respect 

 resembles that beautiful country. A great amount of money comes 

 here from other states during the summer and autumn months, 

 brought ly pleasure seekers and sportsmen, and many people are 

 benefitted thereby ; but, while we recognize this fact, we must also 

 remember that our inland country has a permanent value far greater 

 than that derived from its natural beauties, its trout streams, or its 

 herds of deer. 



The great necessity for the protection of our fo'ests from fire has 

 not been given sufficient consideration by our law-makers. Game 

 and fish laws liave played a very prominent part in State legislation 

 for some years. The State controls all the inland waters and owns 

 all the game. It invites all the world to come here and navigate 

 the lakes and streams, catch the fish, to make temporary habitations 

 upon private land, to cut trees for camps and camp-fires and to kill 

 the game. In other words the State pastures its cat.le on the land 

 o: individuals and protects it for the benefit of alien sportsmen, but 

 gives no protection to the owners of the property. It has the past 

 year put an enormous and unjust tax on wild laud, while it has 

 given no adequate protection from the devastations of the thousands 

 of people who wander through it solely for purposes of pleasure. 



The annual cut of timber from the forests of Maine is about five 

 hundred millions of feet. From the time the tree is cut in the 

 winter, hauled to the river bank, driven to the milh, manufactured 

 into boards, shingles, boxes, spools, pulp and the thousand and one 



