234 FOREST RESEARCH 



mental facts and knowledge that appear to be important in the field 

 of forestry. The objectives may be stated as follows: 



1. To establish markets for forest products and make it better 



possible for lumber and associated products to compete with 

 other materials, especially those substitutes which have en- 

 croached, sometimes unfairly, for purposes where wood is the 

 best and most inexpensive material. 



2. To maintain the greatest productivity and the best use of for- 



est land for timber growing. 



3. To examine the effects of forests and other natural vegetative 



cover on the regulation of stream flow and the prevention of 

 erosion and floods. 



4. To attain the most productive use of forest ranges for the graz- 



ing of domestic animals consistent with timber growing, water- 

 shed protection, and native wild life. 



5. To continue the forest in the best possible condition to meet 



the recreational needs of the nation. 



6. To obtain information for the continuance of the forest as a 



center of game management and protection for wild life con- 

 sistent with other uses and developments. 



7. To evolve the best methods of economic and social life in for- 



est communities. 



Expressed concretely, the objectives of research are to make our 

 forests render the widest and finest economic and social usefulness to 

 our people. 



2. PRINCIPAL ACTIVITIES 



The principal work in forest research is done by the Forest Service 

 through its various agencies, bureaus, and experiment stations. One 

 of the outstanding examples of systematic and successful research is 

 found at the U. S. Forest Products Laboratory at Madison, Wis- 

 consin, which has eminently demonstrated its efficiency in increasing 

 the knowledge of wood and its possible uses. As stated by Clapp in 

 the Copeland Report, "Forest products are falling behind in the com- 

 petition with other materials because, for one thing, less is known of 

 their properties and how to use them. It is conceivable that forest 

 products research can be made one of the chief competitive weapons 

 to maintain an increased consumption and hence of an aggressive, 

 constructive, plan-wise effort to make certain the use of forest land 

 and to keep available for public use a material of high intrinsic value." 



The Forest Service conducts 11 regional forest experiment stations, 



