JOURNAL OF FORESTRY 



Vol. XVII DECEMBER, 1919 No. 8 



The Society is not responsible , as a body, for the facts and opinions advanced in 

 the papers published by it. 



THE LINES ARE DRAWN 



By GiFFORD PiNCHOT 



The continued misuse of forest lands privately owned has now- 

 brought about a critical situation in /America. The conversion of pro- 

 ductive forest lands into idle wastes is dangerous to our economic 

 and social welfare. Already it has begun to work a distinctly meas- 

 urable hardship upon every citizen. It is wholly irrelevant to discuss 

 at just what particular time in the future our remaining supplies ol 

 virgin timber will have been exhausted, for the pinch comes long be- 

 fore complete destruction. As a matter of fact, it is here now. in the 

 form of a shortage of wood, with accompanying high prices, and the 

 public pays the bill. The situation demands action, not talk, and the 

 only problem before us is to decide what sort of action is the best. 



I shall not review the facts, for these are most excellently stated in 

 the report of the Committee for the Application of Forestry in this 

 issue of the Journal. The gist of this report is that destructive 

 lumbering on private timberlands is working a grave injury to the 

 public interest and must be stopped. A plan to stop it is proposed. 

 The report shows concisely how the public interest is injured ; the 

 principles upon which its recommendations are based are to my mind 

 incontrovertible ; and the legislation suggested is workable, compre- 

 hensive, and fair. 



The degree of public regulation proposed is decidedly mild when 

 compared with the tremendous changes in the structure of industry 

 now gradually assuming definite form throughout the whole world. 

 The conclusions were reached after four months' study of the condi- 

 tions, and the report was written by the members of the committee, 

 not by its chairman. I agree with the findings and recommendations 

 from start to finish. These men have rendered a service to forestry in 

 America which will long be remembered. 



The fight to conserve the forest resovirces of our public domain has 

 been won. The National Forests are now so firmly established and 



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