ONE ASPECT OF THE NATIONAL PROGRAM OF 

 FORESTRY: COST ^ 



By Ralph S. Hosmer 



Professor of Forestry, Cornell University 



The critical point about which the national program of forestry 

 centers is cost. From whatever angle one approaches the subject he 

 comes to it. In every solution proposed it is the element most to be 

 reckoned with. I desire briefly to discuss this aspect of the case, 

 together with a correlary that naturally proceeds from it. 



Colonel Graves has forcibly reminded us that as a nation w'e are 

 rapidly approaching the time when our timber supply must come from 

 second growth. To provide adequately for the future we cannot leave 

 the production of forests to chance. Systematic forest regeneration 

 must succeed exploitation of stands that we have found ready to har- 

 vest. But it takes a long time, and usually an outlay of money, to 

 produce forests. The question that presses for solution is : Who 

 shall bear the cost and how shall the necessary funds be provided ? 



We all admit frankly that serious mistakes have been made in the 

 past in the handling of the forest areas of this country. We have 

 been recklessly extravagant and have acted without thought of the 

 future. Had the forested portions of the public domain been re- 

 tained by the nation the evil day that is now upon us might have been 

 averted. But those mistakes are of the past. It is our duty today 

 to get out of the muddle as best we can. 



There seem to be three courses open, for securing a permanent tim- 

 ber supply for the future: (1) To make this generation stand the 

 cost, through what has been termed the "replacement idea ;" namely, 

 the speedy reestablishment of forests through natural or artificial 

 means. In this case the bill is paid by the consumer of this genera- 

 tion, either directly or through taxation. (2) To spread the cost out 

 over a longer period, by means of government loans or bond issues 

 that shall provide the working capital to establish forests, the yield 

 from which shall at least in part pay ofif the bonds at maturity. This 



' Delivered before the New York Section of the Society of American Fores- 

 ters, at Wanakena, N. Y., July 29-31, 1919. 



