November 25, 1920 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



15 



Harding Backs Forest Conservation 



President-Elect Sends Message to Joint Conference Which Prepared Bill to 



Establish National Policy. Measure Awaits Next Session of Congress 



Lumber and Wood-Using Associations Endorse Bill 



By Staff Correspondent 



Elaborate and comprehensive plans for the establishment of a 

 national policy for forest preservation, to which President-elect 

 Warren G. Harding has promised his full support, have been com- 

 pleted by the American Forestry Association, according to an 

 announcement made by the Association following a conference 

 held here between representatives of the industries interested and 

 the Association. 



At this conference were Elbert H. Baker, of the Cleveland 

 Plain Dealer, E. T. Allen, Western Forestry and Conservation Asso- 

 ciation; George W. Sission, jr., D. A. Crocker, W. E. Haskell, E. S. 

 Kellogg and C. H. Worcester, representing the American Paper and 

 Pulp Association; S. P. Weston, representing the American News- 

 paper Publishers' Association; Charles Lathrop Pack, president, 

 and P. S. Eidsdale_, secretary, of the American Forestry Associa- 

 tion; Col. William B. Greeley, Chief U. S. Forester; E. W. McCul- 

 lough, of the Chamber of Commerce of the United States; George 

 S. Long, National Lumber Manufacturers' Association; E. F. Perry, 

 National Wholesale Lumber Dealers' Association; and John Foley, 

 Association of Wood Using Industries. 



An outline of the proposed legislation, which will be introduced 

 when Congress reconvenes, was read at the conference, and received 

 the approval of all of the representatives present. 



"The provisions are two-fold," declared Mr. Pack, president 

 of the Association. "They include a considerable extension of 

 direct Federal activity in forest ownership and production, and 

 the development, with Federal aid and encouragement, of such 

 systematic policies in the several forested states as, being con- 

 sistent with local conditions, will bring about adequate forest 

 protection and reproduction in the interest of these states and of 

 the public at large. 



With these aims, the program provides, specifically, through coopera- 

 tion between the Government, the States and owners of timberlands, 

 for adequate protection against fires, for reforestation of denuded lands, 

 for obtaining essential information in regard to timber and limberlands. 

 for extension of the national forests, and for other steps, all essential 

 to continuous forest production on lands chiefly suitable for this purpose. 



Eealizing the importance of a national forest policy, Warren 

 G. Harding, the President-elect, in a statement to the American 

 Forestry Association, says: 



There is a notable halting in the construction of homes because of the 

 almost prohibitive cost. Lumber plays its very conspicuous part therein. 

 Much of this, of course, relates to the increased cost of production, which 

 dates from the changed condition since our entrance into the World 

 War, but there is a permanent iucliuation to advance in cost because 

 of the very manifest cMmlnution of supply. 



We can not be blind to the fact that, during the tremendous growth 

 of the republic in the past half century, we have been drawing on our 

 natural timber supply without a thought of the future. The American 

 Forestry Association has given us figures to show that three-fifths of the 

 original timber of the country has been consumed. It is of little value 

 to recall the waste with which we have cut our timber, except that we 

 ought to have learned lessons which will enable us to avoid so much waste 

 in the future. 



The one thing which the Government may do is to adopt that policy 



which will assure to future generations the timber which is necessary to 

 our lumber needs. In our section of the country the supply almost 

 entirely Is exhausted. The diminution in the softwood forests of New 

 England, and lake states, and even the South, has been steady and con- 

 tinuous. Many watchful students of the situation think that another 

 decade is going to put the South in a condition where it can do no more 

 than meet its own demands. There remains a large supply on the Pacific 

 Coast, but the problem of transportation makes this supply unavailable to 

 the East and the Middle West unless we contemplate a cost of trans- 

 portation which will continue to discourage building enterprise. 



There is ample land in this country of ours, not adapted to other uses, 

 to produce a suflicient supply of timber for all our needs, if it is only 

 stocked with trees and nature is allowed to contribute toward our neces- 

 sities. We must begin to think of timber crops as we do other cultiva- 

 tion in this land of ours, and we must put an end to the carelessness 

 and neglect to which we trade our destructive forest fires. With timber 

 growing on the one hand and forest preservation and protection on 

 the other hand, there isn't any re.ison why the United States should not 

 be self-reliant in the great essential of lumber for construction purposes. 

 It is perfectly practicable and feasible to provide for a new growth of 

 timber and an imperative duty to improve our forest protection. I can 

 think of no forward look in relation to the good fortune of America 

 which does not contemplate a forest policy which will assure us the 

 essential in the lumber line for all our constructive activities. 



Substitutes and supersedure will not alone relieve the threatening situ- 

 ation. As our civilization advances we shall build less wnstefully and 

 temporarily that characterize the construction of the developing period. 

 This is the story of human progress. Bermanent housing, more dependably 

 constructed, always follows the temporary effects incident to develop- 

 ment, but no change of policy ever will eliminate our lumber needs. 



I have sought to emphasize the thought of reforestation because I think 

 it highly es.sential for the United States of America ever to be thinking 

 of self-reliance. We are so blessed with God's bounty, so varied in our 

 productivity and so boundless in our resources, that the combination 

 of American genius and a committal to conservation and cultivation will 

 leave us independent of the resources or the activities of the remainder 

 of the world. 



Essence of New Bill 



As the first big step in the united campaign for the national 

 forest policy, the following legislation is proposed: 



1. Authorizing the secretary of agriculture, after consulting 

 appropriate local agencies, to approve an adequate policy for each 

 state, covering the essentials of fire protection on timbered and 

 restocking lands, reforestation of denuded lands, and where and 

 to the extent necessary, cutting and removing of timber crops so 

 as to promote continuous production of timber on lands chiefly suit- 

 able therefor and authorizing his cooperation in the work required, 

 provided there is also satisfactory local compliance in state legis- 

 lation or administrative practice. Chief, although not entire em- 

 phasis for the time being on fire prevention, as the most important 

 single step, and not less than $1,000,000 annually available for 

 such cooperation with states. 



2. A survey to obtain necessary information as to forest 're- 

 sources, forest production, and forest requirements of the nation. 



3. Provision for studies and experiments in forest production 

 methods, wood utilization, timber tests, wood preservation, develop- 



(Continucd on page 17) 



"I have sought to emphasize the thought of reforestation because I think it highly essential for the United 

 States of America ever to be thinking of self-reliance. We are so blessed 'Mrith God's bounty, so varied in our 

 producti'vity and so boimdless in our resources, that the combination of American genius and a committal to 

 cons«rvation and cultivation 'wOl leave us independent of the resources of the activities of the remainder of 

 the world." — President-Ellect Warren G. Harding on proposed new Federal forest conservation legislation. 



