430 JOURNAL OF FORESTRY 



land should be payable to the State in cut-over land, so far as such 

 land fits in with a predetermined plan for State forests, and at a 

 moderate valuation taking into consideration the productive capacity 

 of the land, its forest condition, and its accessibility. Thus the State 

 would take definite steps towards the creation of State forests, and 

 would at the same time tend to solve the cut-over land problem, which 

 is a matter of great concern both to the public and to the private 

 owner. 



At the present time the State Tax Commission is considering a 

 revision of the form of taxation of timberland, and timber owners 

 are preparing to present their views on the subject. Nothing has as 

 yet crystallized. It is believed that the revision of the tax system 

 should not be by itself alone, but should rather be a part of a definite 

 forest policy. The timber owners wish a modification of the system 

 which will ease their tax burdens. If they get it they should be 

 willing to fall in with plans for a progressive State forest policy. 



In order to crystallize sentiment in the State and to secure resuhs 

 there is needed a State Forestry Association. There are many ex- 

 amples of successful associations and what they can do for the State. 

 For instance, the Southern California Automoible Association has 

 been an exceedingly powerful instrument in connection with the con- 

 struction of highways, mentioning only one of its activities. It has 84 

 employees, offices in many of the important towns and cities in the 

 southern part of the State. A few days ago its two-page advertisement 

 appeared in the Saturday Evening Post, inviting the world to come 

 and enjoy southern California's good roads. Such an ambitious asso- 

 ciation is scarcely practicable for forestry at the start, but there should 

 be such an association to promote the interests of forestry in California. 



Finally, here is needed a publication which would be to forestry 

 in the State what x^merican Forestry is to forestry in the United States. 

 Its object should be to bring together the various organizations and 

 people in the State having any interests in forests and forestry, such 

 as the Forest Service, the lumbermen, the State forester, the Division 

 of Forestry at the University, the National Parks, the private foresters, 

 the smaller private forest owners, the clul)s which are more or less 

 interested in forests, such as the Sierra Club, the Tamalpais Conserva- 

 tion Club, and many others. The publication should show the people 

 the facts concerning, the needs of, and the remedies for the present 

 forest situation. It should promote the interests of forestry in the 

 State. 



