._ir:S JOURNAL OI' FORESTRY 



tage of the spirit of the times doubtless had considerable weight with 

 those who decided to start a Forestry Program at the present time. 



Admitting then that this is an opportune time for the inauguration 

 of a definite program, we only need pause to remark that the under- 

 lying principles which call for such a program are sufficiently well 

 understood in a general way by the people of the United States today, 

 particularly by foresters, and that'no further elaboration need be made 

 of the reasons why the nation-wide practice of forestry is held to be 

 fundamental and vital to the ultimate welfare of the nation. We do 

 most assuredly need, however, much more thought and study as to the 

 means by which this essential end is to be accomplished. 



The following observations on the situation are merely the result 

 of a casual review of the current literature on the various plans put 

 forth by foresters 'in the United States during the past year, and do 

 not in any way represent a thorough nor comprehensive study of this 

 tremendous problem. 



The Society of American Foresters, feeling that the time was ripe 

 for action, appointed several months ago a Committee to recommend a 

 Forest Policy for the Nation. The report of this Committee is the 

 most specific presentation of the issues that has yet been published. 

 There are two striking facts in connection with this report to which 

 it is desired to draw attention. 



The first one is that this Committee is essentially a committee of 

 technically trained foresters, and does not represent the lumber inter- 

 ests. Any program of forestry for the nation will involve private 

 interests to the extent of about eighty per cent of the standing timber 

 and the same" percentage of the forest land. Such a gigantic under- 

 taking involves so great a variety of economic interests that no group 

 of foresters can expect to formulate a workable policy without the 

 cooperation and support of the lumbering industry : in other words, 

 the private interests which will be most affected by any such program. 



The other significant point in connection with this report is that the 

 foresters, those who were assigned the task of preparing the program, 

 are not in agreement among themselves as to the form which such a 

 policy should take. It would seem that before attempting to present a 

 concrete proposition to the people of the United States, we should at 

 least have reasonable accord among ourselves as to what such a pro- 

 gram should include. "When doctors disagree the patient usually 

 dies." We have no such fears in this case, but unless concerted and 

 cooperative efforts are put forth little hope can be offered for a com- 



