MICHIGAN 



ROADS ^FORESTS 



DETROIT, MICHIGAN, JANUARY, 1909. 



Michigan Forestry Association. 



The Michigan Forestry Association was organized in Grand Rapids August 30, I905,fiaving 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. 



THE LAKE STATES 



FORESTRY CONFERENCE 



In November. I'.MIT, at the nine of tin: meet- 

 ing of the Michigan Forestry Association, 

 there was called a meeting <>f delegates from 

 the Great Lake states and the neighboring 

 provinces to consider necessary legislation to 

 promote, rather, call into existence the prac- 

 tice and business of forestry. This seemed 

 an excellent undertaking, since the similarity 

 of conditions in these .-latex made it desir- 

 able that such forest legislation should he as 

 uniform a.-, possible. At that meeting some 

 preliminary and elementary resolutions were 

 ail< iptcd. 



The conference was again called In meet 

 at Madison. Wis., cm December '.) and 10, 

 I'.MIS. 'I'h ere were especially represented the 

 states df Michigan. Wisconsin and Minnesota, 

 and the most important and pressing state 

 action.- were thoroughly discussed. The meet- 

 ing was made especially valuable by the fact 

 that the principal owners of timber lands, 

 mostly manufacturers of lumber, were repre- 

 sented at the conference, and. in addition, had 

 placed into the hands of the State Forester 

 of Wisconsin, Mr. Griffith, drafts of bills 

 which they had approved and adopted at a 

 meeting at Fau Claire. Wis.. December 1, 

 I'.MIS. At this meeting of the lumbermen the 

 matter of tire protection and taxation was 

 thoroughly discussed, and these timber land 

 nwners perfected an association. For the first 

 time in the history of this country these land 

 owners proposed a law which would levy a 

 special state tax of 22J-2 cents per acre on 

 all wild lands, with a view to defraying the 

 expenses of a state paid lire patrol. They 

 also agreed on the necessity of having every 

 operator dispose of the tops and debris in 

 logging, thus securing greater safety to tim- 

 ber property. After considerable careful dis- 

 cussion the conference adopted the following 

 resolutions : 



"The object of this conference is to secure 

 uniform forestry legislation throughout the 

 Great Lakes region, and particularly for Min- 

 ne-ota, Wisconsin and Michigan; and. 



"Whereas, The enormous destruction of 

 forests and' other property in the Great Lakes 

 states and Canada by the forest tires of 1908 

 has again called attention to the pressing need 

 of immediate action on the part of t.h -it- 

 states, especially in the matter of prevention 

 of fires and their suppression; and. 



"Whereas. This matter is accentuated by 

 the prompt and intelligent action of the asso- 

 ciations of citizens most interested in this 



matter, and especially the action of the Tim- 

 berland Owners' Asociation of Wisconsin, 

 which includes many of the largest lumber 

 companies of northern Wisconsin, which at 

 its meeting at Eau Claire, December 1. I'.MIS, 

 approved the report and suggestions of its 

 committee, charged w : ith the preparation of 

 suitable bills to be submitted -to the legisla- 

 ture of Wisconsin at its next session, and 

 as the following resolutions are largely based 

 .ni the recommendations of that Association; 

 and, 



"Whereas. The exper.'ence of the fires of 

 last season has fully demonstrated that the 

 leaving of debris over large areas of land in 

 the form of "slashes' seriously threatens the 

 safety of all uild lands and forests, as well 

 as farm settlements, and even towns; there- 

 fore, be it 



"!! csolvcd. That all persons cutting and ex- 

 ploiting timber in any part of the lake states 

 here represented should be obliged to dispose 

 of the debris in such manner that it shall 

 not be a menace to the forests; that failure 

 to do this should be punished by a fine com- 

 mensurate with the extent of the operation 

 and consequent possibility of damage; that 

 the timber cut or standing, as well as the 

 land, should be held to secure the payment 

 of such lines imposed, and that full authority 

 be given to the proper authorities to carry 

 out and interpret the law providing for this 

 disposal of debris or 'slashings.' 



"Whereas, In the matter of forest fires this 

 conference realizes that these forest fires in 

 the lake states during the dry season readily 

 take on enormous proportions; that we are 

 dealing, therefore, with great calamities affect- 

 ing human life, as well as millions of acres 

 of land and many millions of dollars' worth 

 of property; from this it follows that any 

 measures adopted should be adequate to the 

 situation; that efficient preventive and protec- 

 tive measures are the only kind that w'll 

 really pay, and that such protection in a single 

 vear can ::nd will save enough property, such 

 that the interest on the material wealth saved 

 will easily maintain such service or protec- 

 tion: therefore, be it 



"Resolved. That forest lire, being one of 

 the greatest enemies of the state, and thus 

 akin to riot and invasion, the executive power 

 of the -late should he employed to the utmost 

 limit in emen'encies. in their suppression and 

 control for the protection of the lives and 

 property of the people. 



"Resolved. That we advocate the patrol 

 system as the only satisfactory method of 

 in-eventing forest tires, and the commanding 

 Factor in lighting them. 



"Resolved. That we recommend the reten- 



tion of the fire warden system with the county, 

 rather than the town, as the units, as being 

 essential in securing interest and responsibil- 

 ity among the people most affected. 



"Resolved, That in all districts covered by 

 state lire patrol a reasonable portion of the 

 expense for such patrol should be placed upon 

 the unoccupied, unimproved or wild lands, 

 whether forest or cut-over land, preferably in 

 the form of an acreage tax. 



"Resolved, That the expense of the local 

 lire warden service, and the help called out 

 Tor the suppression of fires, should be borne 

 wholly or in part by the county or town, but 

 die payment should first be made by the state 

 to insure promptness. 



"Resolved, That all officials, including pub- 

 lic prosecutors, charged with the enforcement 

 of fire protective measures should be subject 

 to severe penalty or removal from office for 

 non-performance of duty. 



"Resolved, That the successful prosecution 

 and a commensurate punishment in case of 

 conviction often cannot be secured in the lo- 

 cality where the offense has been committed, 

 and in order that, the law shall be enforced, 

 in the interest of justice, and under authority 

 of the attorney-general, a change of venue 

 should be permitted. 



"Resolved. That it is the sense of this meet- 

 ing that lands containing forests should be 

 taxed in the usual manner so far as the land 

 is i- mcerned, said land to be assessed as if 

 it contained no timber; but the forest prod- 

 ucts should be assessed and taxed only when 

 they are cut and removed, and then in an 

 appropriate manner; that the. harvest timber 

 tax should be based on a stumpage value de- 

 ternrned by the value of the forest product 

 at the place where it is assessed, less the cost 

 of placing it 'there." 



A PREHISTORIC FOREST. 



F.videncc of a prehistoric forest in Balti- 

 more, Md., has been unearthed in the vicinity 

 of Sharpe and Hill streets. Workmen in the 

 employ of contractors came across sections 

 of trees tightly embedded in clay at a depth 

 of thirty feet below the surface of the street. 

 They discovered thick stumps of trees at a 

 depth of thirty-live or forty feet. Tn one or 

 two instances the stumps measured ten feet 

 in diameter. 



The discoveries are being investigated by 

 1'rof. Philip R. filler, provost of the Peabody 

 Institute, and an authority on such subjects. 

 Indications point to the fact that the forest 

 existed before the glacial period, the condi- 

 tion of the stumps of trees seeming to show 

 that they were cut off by the ice. 



