778 A NATIONAL PLAN FOR AMERICAN FORESTRY 



THE PRESENT STATUS OF STATE FORESTRY ACTIVITIES 

 STATE ORGANIZATIONS 



In 42 States there is now legal provision for carrying on forestry 

 activities, and in most of them a distinct forestry organization is set 

 up. In a few instances it is one of several divisions of the Conserva- 

 tion Department, in others it is subordinate to some other State 

 administrative board, commission, or commissioner, and in still others 

 it is independent of other State activities but subject to some control 

 by an appointed board or commission. Experience has demonstrated 

 that a set-up which involves the field force of the State forestry or- 

 ganization in such other activities as the enforcement of the game and 

 fish laws tends to react against its success in its own particular field 

 of forestry. This set-up is most likely to be attempted when the 

 State forestry department is one of the divisions of the Conservation 

 Department. Further than that, under this form of organization, 

 the development of the forestry work may be and sometimes has 

 been hampered by a lack of sufficient interest in it or understanding 

 of it on the part of the Conservation Department head or heads, 

 chosen primarily to administer other activities. 



A forestry board or commission which serves in a directive capacity, 

 formulates policies, sets up a program, and strives for means to ac- 

 complish it, but does not concern itself with or interfere with the 

 choice of personnel other than that of State forester, is a very work- 

 able form of State forestry organization. It bears the same relation 

 to the State forestry enterprise that a board of directors does to a 

 successful business enterprise. A board of this type appointed by 

 the Governor with terms of office the same as his own, however, is 

 likely not to serve the best interests of forestry. A board whose 

 personnel is entirely or largely fixed by law may be good, but it is 

 not ideal; ex-officio members of boards may be too busy with other 

 affairs to take an active part, or may not be particularly interested 

 in forestry. But with conditions as they are in politics in some States 

 today, it is probably best, it not essential, to make the composition 

 of the board definite. Preferably, the board members should serve 

 for staggered terms so arranged that any one administration cannot 

 preponderantly alter its composition, and should choose their own 

 chairman. Some States have such boards today. This board struc- 

 ture conduces to the choice of strong and interested men, and assures 

 continuity of policy. While the board may have some political tinge, 

 this can be a source of strength to the forestry cause rather than a 

 weakness. 



Table 2 indicates how State foresters are appointed. Only in New 

 York must the selection be in accordance with a State civil service law. 

 The State foresters however are as a rule selected on a basis of fit- 

 ness, and retained as long as they remain effective and their relations 

 with their boards of superiors continue harmonious. They are ordi- 

 narily subject to removal for administrative reasons, as would be true 

 in any efficient business organization. Nevertheless, the removal 

 from office of State foresters on political grounds has sometimes taken 

 place, and is a real danger to the maintenance of the work on a high 

 level of efficiency. State civil-service protection to the year-long 

 staff other than the State forester is provided in California, Maryland, 

 Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Wisconsin. 



