20 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



February 25. 1921 



Central Forestry Conference Formed 



Movement to Co-ordinate Forestry Programs of Middle West with Snell Bill 



Launched in Chicago 



The co-operation of the middle western states with the Federal 

 forestry program, as expressed in the Snell bill, will result, it is be- 

 lieved, from the formation of the Central States Forestry Confer- 

 ence in Chicago on the afternoon of February 24, at the Union 

 League Club. This is the first interstate organization to be effected 

 to work for the co-ordination of the state and Federal forestry 

 programs, and is looked upon as a most important step toward 

 securing the successful functioning of the Snell bill should its ad- 

 vocates succeed in having it enacted into law and established as the 

 National forestry policy. 



The organization was definitely launched through a resolution of 

 D. W. Hall of the Hall-Kellogg Company, Chicago, which stated: 



First: That the co-ordinated means of forest conservation and 

 reforestation should be adopted by the states represented; 



Second: That the Central States Forestry Conference should be 

 organized to be composed of the delegates from the respective 

 states, which conference should immediately elect temporary officers 

 to consist of a president, vice-president, secretary and four others 

 with whom the officers will act as a temporary executive committee, 

 and that the permanent officers shall consist of a president, vice- 

 president from each state, a secretary and an executive committee 

 and such additional officers as the permanent organization might 

 find ncessary; 



Third: That permanent representation to the conference should 

 include a state officer of each state or other state forestry ofiScial 

 and five other persons to be appointed by the respective governors; 



Fourth: That the representatives of the several states present 

 at the organization meeting immediately appoint a committee of 

 five from each state to draft a statement covering the need of 

 action in forestry conservation and reforestation and stating the 

 plan of the conference, this draft to be presented to the respective 

 governors with the request for the appointment of delegates to the 

 conferences in accordance with the provision for delegates; 



Fifth: That a meeting for permanent organization be held at the 

 Union League Club of Chicago at the call of the temporary executive 

 committee after the delegates from at least five states have been 

 appointed. 



The officers for the temporary organization were named by C. H. 

 Worcester of the C. H. Worcester Company, Not Inc., Chicago, as 

 follows: 



D. L. Goodwillie, Chicago, president; E. E. Parsonage, Moline, 

 HI., president of the Association of Wood-Using Industries, vice- 

 president; D. W. Hall, Chicago, temporary secretary. 



Additional members of temporary committee: Dr. Herman Von 

 Schrenk, St. Louis, Henry C. Campbell, editor Milwaukee State 

 Journal, Milwaukee; Elmer C. Hole, Chicago, Calvin Fentress, 

 Chicago. 



This action was precipitated by the noon-day meeting at the 

 Union League Club, which meeting was presided over by D. L. 

 Goodwillie, Chicago, chairman of the forestry committee of the 

 Union League Club. The phase of the forestry program receiving 

 greatest support from those attending this conference is contained 

 in the twelve points made by E. S. Kellogg of New York and 

 referred to elsewhere in this article. While no formal action was 

 taken in regard to the fabrication or adoption of any such policy, 

 the reception Mr. Kellogg 's points received evidenced a general 

 and sustained sympathy with those theories and with the Snell 

 bill which in reality incorporates them into legislation. 



The North Central States Forestry Conference was formed at a 

 meeting of the representatives of the governors of seven Middle 

 Western states, with Col. W. B. Greeley, chief forester; B. S. Kel- 

 logg, chairman of the National Forestry Program Committee, and 



the members of the forestry committee of the Union League Club. 

 The states represented were Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, 

 Iowa and Illinois. 



It is the purpose of the conference to organize and put under 

 way substantial programs of forestry in each state, along lines 

 which will make the state policy conform to the Federal forestry 

 program now being worked out. This purpose is predicated upon 

 the assumption that the National program, or act of Congress, will 

 follow the principles of the Snell Bill, the basic feature of which 

 is co-operation with the states, rather than strict Federal control of 

 forestry. Ohio already has legislation before its legislature, and 

 Wisconsin is in the midst of an active campaign for a thoroughly 

 well defined policy. Wisconsin has already advanced to the point 

 of preliminary steps for a state conference in March to put into 

 effect the recommendations of the interstate conference organized 

 at Chicago. 



The representatives of the states participating in the conference 



were in the main either state foresters or conservation eommis- 



The following are among the state foresters who were 



C. L. Harrington, Wisconsin; C. C. Deam, Indiana; 



Secrest, Ohio; Marcus Shasf, Michigan; E. B. Miller, 



L. H. Pammell, conservation commissioner, represented 



sioners. 



present: 



Edmund 



Illinois. 



Iowa. 



Kellogg 's Becommendations 



Eecommendations for an adequate and effective state forest 

 policy were laid before the conference by Mr. Kellogg, whose organi- 

 zation is backing the Snell Bill. These recommendations consist of 

 the following twelve items, which items embody the principle state- 

 private interest-Federal-eontrol co-operation contained in the Snell 

 Bill: 



1. That all soil shall be made productive of the crop to which it is 

 best adapted or for which there is the greatest public need. 



2. That while agriculture and forestry are based upon soil production, 

 the methods necessary in forestry and the time involved are so different 

 from those of agriculture that forestry demands an entirely different form 

 of administration. 



3. That state forest policies shall be initiated and carried out in 

 co-operation with the national government and with private owners 

 wherever and to the fullest extent possible. 



4. That state forest legislation shall establish general principles and 

 procedure only and vest in a properly constituted and non-political body, 

 acting through technically qualified representatives, the responsibility tor 

 the fixing of regulations and enforcing them. 



5. That the paramount and immediate consideration in any forest 

 policy is the creation and maintenance of effective means for the preven- 

 tion and control of fire on all forest lands of whatever ownership, and 

 that every owner of forest land shall be required to conduct operations 

 thereon in such a manner as to avoid creating a Are menace to adjacent 

 property. 



6. That forest surveys, land classifications, forest research and forest 

 education shall be provided for. 



7. That there shall be such changes and adjustments In prevailing sys- 

 tems of taxation as will enable all forest lands to be equitably taxed there- 

 under, yet will not discourage the holding of private forest land for future 

 crops without impairing local revenues. 



8. That the state, upon request, shall assist the private owner of forest 

 lands to make them continuously productive through the preparation of 

 working plans, supplying of planting material and supervision of silvicul- 

 tural operations free of charge or at cost. 



9. That the state be empowered to take over at a fair valuation and 

 administer as part of the system of public forests any land which, after 

 competent examination, is classified as suitable only for timber growth, 

 in case the owner refuses to avail himself of the opportunities and assist- 

 ance provided by the public to encourage forestry upon private lands. 



10. That the acquisition of forest land by the state is essential to a 

 sound forest policy. 



11. That all state-owned forests shall be utilized for continuous produc- 

 tion, both for direct returns in forest products and Indirect returns in soil 

 protection, game and recreation. 



12. That all state-owned forest property shall be capitalized upon the 



