ADVANCEMKNT OF F0RE;STRY 799 



the many things which need to be done and which would serve as a 

 thoroughly worth while reason for organizing the council in the first 

 place. Briefly the council should work for the following objectives: 



1. Efficient prevention and control of fires on forest and wild land, 

 so as to reduce the forest fire hazard to the proportion of an ordinary 

 business loss, averaging only a small per cent over any period of time. 

 Fire protection is fundamental to all forestry work and reciuires con- 

 certed public action for effective results. The council should be in- 

 strumental in investigating the whole subject of forest fire prevention 

 and control and in formulating detailed plans for the development of 

 a patrol system, watch tower and telephone system and fire-fighting 

 force, as well as for the education of the public to be careful with fire 

 in the woods. One very valuable and effective thing that could be 

 done immediately would be to bring pressure on the State's congres- 

 sional delegation to actively support the request of the United States 

 Forest Service for a large increase in the fund available for co-oper- 

 ation with the States in forest fire protection. Federal leadership and 

 assistance in this respect offers more promise of results than anything 

 else that has thus far been proposed. 



2. Expansion and development of State forests through an amend- 

 ment to the State constitution permitting the State to practice forestry 

 on is ozvn lands. The growing of timber is such a long time project 

 that public institutions are best adapted to carry it on. The State, 

 with its immense holdings of land suitable only for forestry and recre- 

 ational purposes would be in a position to take the lead in timber grow- 

 ing if this amendment were passed. In a comparativelv few years 

 the State forests could be brought to a condition of profitable pro- 

 ductivity and would in less than half a century be producing a direct 

 revenue large enough to reduce materially the tax burden of the State 

 government, as well as bringing many indirect benefits to the entire 

 population by providing a local supply of timber. The area of State 

 forests should be greatly enlarged. 



3. The acquirement by the federal government of compact areas 

 of forest land in Wisco)isi)i for development as National Forests. On 

 these forests the Forest Service would have an opportunity to develop 

 the best methods of fire protection and of cutting and reforestation 

 adapted to Wisconsin conditions and could render a very valuable 

 service in setting an example for State forests and private owners to 

 follow. I'Acrv acre in these forests would be one more acre which 



