MICHIGAN 



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DETROIT, MICH., NOVEMBER, 1909. 



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Note. As most of the papers are to appear 



MICHIGAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. 



The Michigan Forestry Association was organized in Grand Rapids August 30, 1905, having for its object the promotion of a ra- 

 tional system of forestry in Michigan. The society is managed by the following roster of officers: President, John H. Bissell, of Detroit; 

 Vice-President, Morrice Quinn, Saginaw; Secretary, Henry G. Stevens, Detroit; Treasurer, W. B. Mershon, Saginaw, W. S. Board of 

 Directors S. M. Lemon, Grand Rapids; H. N. Loud, Au Sable; Thos. B. Wyman, Munising; E. C. Nichols, Battle Creek; R. Hanson, Gray- 

 ling; Geo. N. Brady, Detroit. 



educational features in the campaign for for- 

 estry The nursery was made specially val- 



uable by a system of distribution of P lant stock 



to farmers and others and in this way was 

 started the planting of forest trees in many 

 Parts of the state. 



Fourth. The creation of the temporary 

 "Commission of Inquiry," an investigation en- 

 terprise which collected information and made 

 a complete study of the forestry situation in 

 our state, reporting this to the legislature of 

 1908-09. The composition of this commission 

 was entirely of well-known business men and 



f ar m e rs, and their report was well received 

 and deve , d an ; nterest in the forestry and 



land po i icy o f the state, such as had never be- 



fore existed. In fact, there is no record to 

 ^^ that j is j ative bod in the United 



j- 

 States at any time displayed an interest at 



T . , 

 all comparable to that shown at Lansing last 



5 



Fifth. The passage of a number of second- 

 ary laws, dealing with fire protection, the cre- 

 ation of a Forest Reserve for the Agricultural 

 College, etc. 



Far Reaching and Important Results. 



In addition to these far-reaching and im- 

 Prtant results, there are a number of others, 

 the existence of which everyone knows and 

 sees - though they elude measurement or exact 

 location. Of these the most important are: 



First - The sentiment in favor of forestry, 

 among the people. While there is no claim that 

 this is due entirely to the Forestry Commis- 

 sion and the Association, yet in a large meas- 

 ure this is true nevertheless. That this senti- 

 ment is b y far tne most important of all 

 results was shown clearly in the work of the 

 legislature last winter. 



Second. A complete change of front of the 

 sta te press. As late as 1898 few papers cared 

 to say a friendly word for forestry; today they 

 all say it, and our Michigan Press, city and 

 country alike is ever ready to demand a ra- 

 tiona l land and forestry policy. 



In conclusion, Mr. Garfield welcomed the 

 Commission of Public Domain, represented by 

 Hon. J. E. Beal and Hon. A. J. Doherty, its 

 president, and bespoke for the new commission 

 an earnest, unstinted support of the associa- 



The annual meeting of the Michigan Fores- 

 try Association was held November 9 and 10 in 

 the Guild Hall of St. Paul's Episcopal Church 



etroit president of 



the association; Dr. W. J- Beal of Lansing; 



Hoftjr 



)0 - 

 , Wheeler, secretary of 



the Beard of Commerce of Jackson; L. H. 



/ , -. 



Field, the great merchant of Jackson; Rev. 



Dr. MacDuff, of the Episcopal Church; Mrs. 

 John C. Sharp, of Jackson; Mrs. Weaver, of 

 Charlotte: Mrs. Matitner, of Saginaw; Mr. and 

 Mrs. \V. E. Williams, of Pittsford; Mr. Charles 

 W. Garfield, of Grand Rapids; Professors 

 Roth. Mulford and Hill, of the University of 

 Michigan; Prof, and Mrs. Satterlee, of Lansing, 



President Bissell opened the session with his 

 annual address, in which he set forth the activi- 

 ties of the association, its experience in the 

 past year, its present status and outlook. 



Mr. Bissell was followed by the "Grand 

 Old Man" of Jackson, Hon Edward Barber, 

 editor of the Patriot, who in his address of wel- 

 come delivered one of the best dissertations on 

 conservation and forestry ever presented to an 

 American audience. It was a delight and an 

 inspiration to hear this venerable historian and 

 philospher of Michigan review the evidence in 

 the case: tell of the ruin brought upon many 

 of the Old World Districts by the destruction 

 and neglect of the forest and the soil and to 

 trace through more than half a century the 

 evil effects which the ruthless clearing away 

 of forests have brought about in our own 

 State. His long residence at the Height of 

 Lands cf Southern Michigan and his intimate 

 acquaintance, especially with the Grand River 

 Valley, make Mr. Barber's statements those of 

 an authority of the first order. 



Hon. Charles W. Garfield, of Grand Rapids, 

 next proceeded to speak of th? former Forestry 



Commission, of which he was president from 



^^ nnlnS f l rT- ^ Ga ^ Id / CvieWed 

 the history of the first commission of 1898, its 



make up, its work, and its abolition by act of 

 the Ie 8 isla ture after two years' effort. He 



^f at len ? th n * he men of the " earlv da y s " 

 of forestry in Michigan, especially Dr. W. J. 



Beal, of Lansing; Hon. Robert Graham, of 



Grand Rapids, Prof. Spalding, of the University 

 of Michigan> and Hon . Arthur Hil]( of Sagi . 



naw . i n discussing the work of the commis- 



sion, Mr. Garfield called attention to the mod- 

 est means at ; ts disposal and the , ack rf 



,, t Vi r ; u 0,;^. 

 authority. He said: 



Work of the Forestry Commission. 



The successes or results accomplished by 

 this commission, supported as it was by the 

 Forestry Association, serve to indicate what 

 has been accomplished in Michigan in the ten- 

 year campaign. Categorically, but not in 

 chronological order these results are: 



First. The creation of the "Commission of 

 Public Domain" made up of one member of the 

 Board of Regents of the University, one.of-the 

 Board of Agriculture, and one of the Beared- of 

 the School of Mines. In addition, there are on 

 this board, three elective officers, the State 

 Land Commissioner, Auditor General and Sec- 

 retary of State. This commission .hasjull 

 jurisdiction over all State Lands and ^Forest 

 Reserves and also the Water and ' Mineral 

 rights on these State Lands. There is a pro- 

 vision demanding the setting aside of at least 

 200,000 acres of lands for Forestry purposes 

 and the Commission is given ample power to 

 administer these properties. 



Second. The establishment of schools of 

 forestry at both the University of Michigan and 

 the State Agricultural College, where today 

 over 300 young men receive instruction in this 

 subject. 



Third. The establishment of a forest re- 

 serve in 1903 and the continuance of this since 

 that time. This Reserve, the large nursery and 

 plantations, the fire lines, the proper disposal 

 of timber, all have had an immense value as 



