SOME ASPECTS OF EOREST MANAGEMENT 213 



substitution of timber bonds, or by some form of co-operative control. 

 The details involved in these different methods require too much space 

 to be taken up in this paper. 



Another big question affecting conditions here discussed is that of 

 initiative in National Forest management. At present the lumber com- 

 pany, rather than the Government, seems to take the initiative. The 

 company backs a sawmill up against a Forest and makes its plans for 

 cutting the timber on its privately owned patches within or adjacent 

 to the Forest boundary. It then makes a proposition to the Govern- 

 ment to buy the latter's timber wherever it can be taken out along with 

 its own. The company may also buy a strip of Government stumpage 

 independently from its own holdings. The timber-sale contract pro- 

 vides for silviculture in the cuttings and for sanitation in the camps. 

 But whatever "working plan" is made is made by the company, and the 

 Government follows rather than leads. 



The Government in the present crisis, and in view of labor diffi- 

 culties, has already considered taking part directly in the operation of 

 Sitka spruce for army airplane stock. By means of this policy of direct 

 operation, working plans for carefully chosen units, made not by the 

 lumber companies but by the Government itself, might be carried out in 

 cases where such plans could not be applied through timber-sale con- 

 tracts. By this means the social and labor aspects of forest manage- 

 ment could be provided for. The main problem here is one in market- 

 ing the lumber when cut. It is recognized that much of the Govern- 

 ment timber is not readily accessible. On the other hand, much of it 

 is accessible and more of it will be within the next few years. In 

 view of the present and prospective needs for lumber and forest prod- 

 ucts for national purposes, it would seem that it might "p^y" ^^^ Gov- 

 ernment to take the initiative in the management of its own timber 

 Especially is this so in view of the unsolved and menacing labor prob- 

 lems which are involved. 



But after all, it may be asked, are not these problems for the legis- 

 lator to decide rather than the forester? If so, the same holds true 

 for the establishment of the National Forests in the first place, for the 

 establishment of vState foresters and fire-protection systems, and for 

 most of what has been done in State and nation to build up a system 

 of forestry. In this development foresters should take, and they have 

 taken, the lead. This, in fact, is the main job of the profession. Di- 

 rectly or indirectly, it is for us to put forestry on the map and to keep 

 it there. 



