MICHIGAN ROADS AND FORESTS 



advise and instruct people in the care of their 



\v uds and in furnishing plant stock entirely 



free of cost. The interest in this work, the 



.I results accomplished and the plans for 



luture were most interestingly presented 



and listened to with evident satisfaction. 



Sylvester Strothman described similar work 



dene by the State Forester of Maryland, where 



this year hundreds of square miles were gone 



, mapped and recorded and advice given 



whei'rver desired. It was quite clear that 



e present were rather surprised to see 



s like New York, Ohio and Maryland so 



far in the lead in this important work. 



M. Evans related his experience in the 

 luchian Mountains while working for pri- 

 vate companies. He described 'the forest, its 

 vast importance to our people; the rapid re- 

 moval and general destruction of these moun- 

 tain woods, pointing out clearly that under 

 private management there is absolutely no 

 or future for these mountains and their 

 forests, and that a mere waste land condition 

 must be looked for. 



II. C. Clark described the Dartmouth Grant, 

 a large forest property given to this old New 

 England University by the State many years 

 ago. The university now has started active 

 work on forestry principles and it was in this 

 work that Air. Clark had become familiar with 

 the Mtuation. To the listeners and to the peo- 

 i Michigan this is a most interesting case, 

 points out our owil mistake. With mil- 

 ions of acres of forest, at every hand there 

 i a single institution, not a town or county, 

 ven the State itself, that has been fore- 

 sighted enough to take and keep such a forest 

 business enterprise which should have 

 ii profitable in the end. 



\V. H. Ransom described some phases of the 

 ork on the National Forests in the Northern 

 Rockies, while L. D. Smith described similar 

 . on National Forests in New Mexico, 

 lliihtrating his descriptions by beautiful lan- 

 ern slides. Every one was impressed with 

 he painstaking methods which the United 

 itates Forest Service is following to acquire 

 '.-cssary data for a thoroughly satis- 

 acory, scientific and business-like administra- 

 ion of these forests. 



A few general remarks by Prof. Roth on the 



\'ocdlot in our State, its importance and pos- 



>, as well as the obstacles in the way 



f successful woodlot work, brought the dis- 



; of this subject to a close. 

 The report of the Committee on Resolutions 

 -as then adopted after some discussion. The 

 iions follow: 



The Resolutions. 



The Michigan Forestry Association is deeply 

 ipressed by the fact that our Forests con- 

 , be exploited, devastated and destroyed. 

 hat little effort is, as yet, being made to stay 

 tru.ction. That the State of Michigan 

 soon to face a very serious economic con- 

 Alien its building material and even 

 uch of its fuel must be imported (as enor- 

 lumtities are already brought in from 

 -tricts), the flo wof its rivers disturbed, 

 jriculture injuriously affected and the beauty 

 the State largely reduced. At the same time 

 >ciation is glad to be able to report: 

 hat a good strong sentiment in favor of for- 

 try is rapidly spreading; That the authori- 

 :s of the State and notably the Legislature 

 _id the Governor have shown an unusual in- 

 est in this subject: That the Press of the 

 ate almost without exception has exerted 

 strong influence in favor of better laws and 

 learer understanding of the situation. The 

 sociation resolves therefore: 



That the hearty thanks of the Michigan 

 restry Association are due- to the 1 Governor 

 the State, the Legislature, and- notably to 

 n. J. O. Maxey, of L'Anse, and Hon. J. L. 

 >rrice, of Harbor Springs, who have dis- 

 ijuished themselves by an untiring and up- 

 fish interest in forestry and in the defense 

 the interests of the people of our State. 

 The thanks of the Association are also 



Showing Path of Destructive Fire After Lumbering. 



due to the members of the Michigan Forestry 

 Commissioners who have worked untiringly 

 and unceasingly without expectation of per- 

 sonal requitement, in the interests of all the 

 people of the state; and who without fear or 

 favor have stood for an honest administration 

 of State lands against an extended and covert 

 opposition; and for a definite forest policy 

 based upon the good of all the people for all 

 time and injury of no one who would be sat- 

 isfied with fair investments and reasonable 

 compensation. 



3. The thanks of this Association are also 

 due to the members of the State Press for 

 having so generally and generously cham- 

 pioned the cause of forestry and furthered the 

 interests of the people by demanding a proper 

 disposition and use of pur State lands, and 

 better protection and fairer taxation for our 

 forests. 



4. The Association feels deeply indebted to 

 the Federation of Women's Clubs and other 

 organizations of Women who have so persist- 

 ently and efficiently worked for the cause of 

 forestry. 



5. It is the sense of this Association that 

 the law of 1909, providing for a Commission 



ublic Domain is right in principle and 

 form and that the best of results should 

 follow. This change in public policy and ad- 

 ministration had become necessary; it was war- 

 ranted by the importance of the subject and 

 by the magnitude of the interests involved. 

 The creation of this Commission has been rec- 

 ommended and urged by the Forestry Com- 

 mission since its beginning; it has been re- 

 quested by this Association and by the Com- 

 mission of Inquiry in its report to the legis- 

 lature. This Commission having proper juris- 

 diction over the vast land, forest, water and 

 mineral interests of the State was called for 

 by the conditions as pointed out in the Report 

 of the Commission of Inquiry and the Commit- 

 tee on Lands and Forests of the last House 

 of Representatives. It fs with great satisfac- 

 tion, therefore, that this Association welcomes 

 this new Commission and offers to it the in- 

 fluence and assistance of the Association in its 

 efforts at a satisfactory management of the 

 State Lands and Forests, and in the develop- 

 ment of forestry both State and private, in our 

 nnwealth. 



6. The Association earnestly requests the 

 legislature to make sufficient appropriation for 

 the Public Domain Commission to enable it 

 to employ a state forester, to assist by advice, 

 instruction, written and verbal, and by actual 



object lessons in form of sample plantations, 

 nurseries and by every other proper means 

 in the better understanding and in an actual 

 practice of forestry. 



7. The Association does not approve the 

 present system of state forest tire protection 

 and believes that this work should be done 

 entirely by the Commission of Public Domain 

 and separated from the office of game and fish 

 warden or any other special police department. 



8. The Association earnestly recommends 

 the consideration of legislation on the follow- 

 ing points: 



(a) To compel every owner of forest to 

 cut and use his forest property in a manner 

 which will assure the continuance of the for- 

 est cover, and will not lead to devastation of 

 the forest and to injury of the property of 

 others. 



(b) A satisfactory and fair method of for- 

 est taxation in accordance with the recom- 

 mendations of the Commission of Inquiry; to 

 assess all forest on the farm at the value of 

 the bare land, like the rest of the farm; to 

 tax larger forests, not parts of farms, on a 

 land and harvest tax plan, and to exempt en- 

 tirely for 20 years all forest plantations estab- 

 lished on lands now bare of a forest cover. 



(c) To provide a fund for protection of all 

 forests by collecting a game license, hunting 

 and fishing licenses, and putting these moneys 

 together with all fines from forest trespass, 

 etc., into a fund together. 



(d) Laws to strengthen the hands of the 

 executive officers and the judiciary in case of 

 all trespass on forest property, to make a 

 rigid enforcement of the law compulsory upon 

 all public officials charged with such duties. 



9. The Association thanks the citizens of 

 Jackson, and particularly its Board of Com- 

 merce, for the hospitality and the interest 

 which have been shown the Association and 

 its efforts. 



10. The thanks of the Association are es- 

 pecially due to Mrs. John C. Sharp, whose 

 earnest and efficient work has brought for- 

 estry before the women of our State and their 

 organisations and has done so much for the 

 success of this meeting. 



A well delivered and beautifully illustrated 

 lecture by Prof. E. M. Brigham, of Battle 

 Creek, closed the meeting. In this lecture 

 Professor Brigham carried his audience in a 

 journey up the mighty Amazon, from Para at 

 its mouth, the largest in the world, through 

 2,000 miles of equatorial America to the 

 Andes, and then across this lofty chain, with 



