HAS THE AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION LOST ITS 



FORMER USEFULNESS? 



REFLECTIONS OF A DIRECTOR 



By Professor Herman H. Chapman 



Yale University 



part I — POLICIES 



When the American Forestry Association was formed in 1882 the 

 following statement appeared in its constitution: "The object of this 

 Association is discussion of subjects relating to tree planting, the 

 conservation, management, and renewal of forests and the climatic and 

 other influences that aflect their welfare, the advancement of educa- 

 tional, legislative, and other means tending to promote these objects." 



The Association was formed by men who foresaw the need of 

 legislation and the role such an association could play in securing it. 

 It drew within its membership practically all the leaders of forestry, 

 and as professional foresters began to appear as the result of educa- 

 tional training, membership in this Association was regarded as an 

 obvious duty. 



Today the Association stands completely discredited in the eyes of 

 the entire body of professional foresters who are acquainted with the 

 facts of its management, and only ignorance of these facts on the part 

 of its members and the public preserves to it a shred of its former 

 influence and usefulness. 



The causes which have wrought the ruin of this great Association 

 are of vital interest to Americans and especially to foresters, who by 

 their training and duties are the leaders of public thought in forestr}'- 

 in this country and will remain so. 



The elements in the problem are : the organization of the Association, 

 its policy, its magazine, and its finances. The last three factors are 

 inevitably determined by the first. Upon the men selected to direct 

 the Association and their success depends that of the Association itself. 

 For the membership is powerless to accomplish these results under 

 inefficient or untrue leadership. 



In January, 1891, the Association declared, "Since much of the 

 destruction of the forest resources of the country can be traced to 

 defective legislation, both State and National, this Association will 



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