478 ANNUAL REPORT OF THE Off. Doc. 



The Pennsylvania forests are not set aside as reserve areas and 

 locked up. The people of Pennsylvania are not denied participation 

 in the general use of the woods; but to the contrary, as above stated 

 they are specifically invited to use these woods under a few reasonable 

 regulations necessary for their proper protection. 



The establishment of the State Forests and their proper develop- 

 ment will result in two things of great value in the future to Penn- 

 sylvania : First, a new wood supply, and secondly, the protection and 

 development of our water resources. The question of a pure and ade- 

 quate water supply is already confronting us in a very noticeable 

 way. The continued settlement of the State, the increase of popu- 

 lation density, the establishment of new industrial plants will cause 

 this problem in the near future to be one of still greater importance. 

 The Department is now authorized to grant to municipalities the 

 right to receive water supply from State lands, when so situated that 

 it may be economically derived. 



The Forest Academy is still educating young men for the forest 

 service. For proper administration, Pennsylvania foresters are at 

 present too few. With intensive administration the forest areas 

 in charge of each forester must be reduced. This requires more 

 foresters, and they are specifically educated for this purpose at the 

 State Forest Academy. 



Because of her ribbed and mountainous character, Pennsylvania 

 has a large area of land suitable for no other purpose than the grow- 

 ing of trees. At least 8,000,000 acres of land of this character can 

 scarcely ever be made to produce anything else of importance. A 

 larger proportion of this area should be put under State Forests 

 than at present. Therefore, purchases of land for forest purposes 

 by the State should be continued through a liberal and well sustained 

 policy. Forest land in State ownership is better protected and better 

 developed than ordinary wild mountain land in the hands of the 

 private owner. Lack of capital and of disposition permits private 

 land to lie wild and devastated. No Pennsylvania acre should lie 

 waste, but ought to be made to produce its full quota of return for 

 the benefit of the whole State. Now forest planting must be con- 

 tinued in areas where trees cannot grow because of destructive lum- 

 bering, forest fires, and the removal of all seed trees. Our plantings 

 should be largely increased and well they might be, were the means 

 at hand to do the work. This Department may and ought to be- 

 come one of the most useful adjuncts of the State Government; but 

 there is no possibility of its becoming so unless it is better sustained 

 and permitted to enjoy a wider and more comprehensive develop- 

 ment by intelligent legislative action. 



