RHODE ISLAND 167 



Average Annual Lumber Production. 510,000,000 board feet. 



Average Annual Consumption. 2,719,200,000 board feet. 



Last Annual Appropriation for Forestry. $649,500. 



Forest Fire Laws. Chief, district and local fire wardens charged with fighting 

 fires, carrying on protection and promoting education, and empowered to 

 enforce forest fire statutes. System of fire towers, observation stations 

 and telephone lines provided for. Commissioners may cooperate with 

 individuals or associations in protective work. Penalties for setting fire 

 carelessly or maliciously, for mutilating notices or for refusal of railroads 

 to provide reasonable protection. Counties, cities, boroughs or townships 

 authorized to appropriate money for protection. 



Forest Taxation Laws. Classification of land for taxation purposes under 

 Auxiliary Forest Reserve. Land must be used exclusively for forest pro- 

 duction and may be assessed at not more than $i an acre paying a yield 

 tax at time of cutting. No limit on amount of land that may be classified. 

 Total of 26,114 acres classified. (See Forest Taxation.) 



Nurseries. Three large and two small nurseries totalling 27 acres. Nine 

 other small nurseries in cooperation with State institutions. Contain about 

 33,000,000 trees with 10,000,000 available for 1924. In 1923 there were 

 6,008,649 forest trees from State nurseries planted on waste land, of which 

 5*079,930 were distributed free to private individuals. On State Forests 

 551,426 trees were set out in 1923 at average cost of $12.12 an acre. During 

 25 years 34,907.279 trees on 23,000 acres at average cost of $9.29 an acre on 

 State owned land. 



Other Activities. Department maintained forestry exhibit at 8 county fairs. 

 Gave away small seedlings. Motor truck with motion pictures toured 

 forest districts. Under plan of assisting timberland owners 520 tracts 

 totalling 180,913 acres examined in 1923. Comprehensibe fire tower sys- 

 tem completed of 102 steel and several wooden towers. Blighted chestnut 

 removed from State Forests. Joint resolution passed by Legislature for 

 amendment permitting $25,000,000 bond issue for purchase of forest lands 

 by State. 



RHODE ISLAND 



Commissioner of Forestry. Created in 1906. 



Jesse B. Mowry, Commissioner, Chepachet, Rhode Island. 



Land Area of State. 682,880 acres. 

 Original Forested Area. 640,000 acres. 

 Present Forest Area. 256,000, acres. 

 Idle or Unproductive Forest Land. 25,000 acres. 

 Timber Stand. 700,000,000 board feet. 

 State Forests. None. 

 National Forests within State. None. 

 Other Publicly-owned Forest Land. None. 



Average Annual Lumber Production (1920). 14,392,000 board feet. 

 Average Annual Consumption. Unavailable. 

 Last Annual Appropriation for Forestry. $11,500. 

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