STATE FOREST POLICY IN AMERICA. 39 



The most important coniferous timber trees of New England 

 are the white pine [Weymouth pine] {Finns strobus) and the red 

 spruce {Picea rubra). The former is found from near sea-level 

 up to about 1500 feet elevation, and the latter from about looo 

 to 3500 feet. These trees and the less important conifers, 

 mixed with the characteristic hardwoods of the region — hard 

 maple, beech, and birch — are found in all ages of natural growth 

 from seedlings to standards. It is not uncommon for abandoned 

 fields and pastures to restock naturally with pine or spruce, and 

 to become covered soon with an even-aged stand of one or two 

 species. It is generally recognised that our eastern states are 

 being rapidly stripped of their remaining valuable forests. This 

 is due to extensive clear cuttings often followed by fire. The 

 growth of inferior hardwoods is increasing, while the valuable 

 coniferous growth is reduced or prevented. While New England, 

 and in fact the whole eastern United States, have a greater pro- 

 portion of their area under forest than has Scotland, a large part 

 of the so-called forest lands supports only small inferior hard- 

 woods, with here and there scattered patches of valuable growth. 

 The remaining valuable forest lands are being steadily reduced 

 in area and productive capacity. To contrast briefly, it may be 

 said that the forests of New England are natural, extensive, 

 and, except over small areas, of low acreage value; while the 

 forests of Scotland are cultivated, confined to small areas, and 

 of high acreage value. 



To understand the present forest policy in America, one must 

 know something of the different kinds of forestry work performed 

 respectively by the Federal and State Governments. The 

 Federal Government owns some 160,000,000 acres of national 

 forests in the western states, managed by the Forest Service, 

 which employs a large corps of technically trained and ex- 

 perienced foresters. The national forests represent the remain- 

 ing non-agricultural portions of the public domain, and since 

 their administration was placed under the Forest Service some 

 fifteen years ago, extensive fire-protection plans have been 

 carried out in co-operation with contiguous private holdings, 

 mapping and silvicultural studies have progressed, regulated 

 timber sales are being made, natural reproduction of valuable 

 species encouraged, and planting of waste areas undertaken on 

 a large scale. These vast tracts of wild woodlands are being 

 brought under proper silvicultural treatment as rapidly as 



