998 



A NATIONAL PLAN FOR AMERICAN FORESTRY 



laws relating to the organization and control of business in general 

 affect forest use indirectly. Practically all of the individual States, 

 however, have adopted legislation designed not only to protect forest 

 property from damage by others than the owners, but also in some 

 degree to prevent an owner from using his land so as to cause direct 

 injury to others. These restrictions have to do mainly with the pre- 

 vention, suppression, and use of fire so that it cannot spread to 

 another's property. No attempt has been made to require such 

 management as will avoid less direct injury to others, through 

 erosion, silting, or irregular stream flow. Nor, with a few minor 

 exceptions, have the States undertaken to prevent an owner from 

 damaging or destroying his own forest, or to require him to keep his 



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i MO - N./-^-/^:.- 



L_ -'^ x - c - 



Genera! Slash Disposal V . \ 



Required -^ ^ 



Limited Slash Disposal Required \. 



(along roads, railroads, property lines, etc) \ 



FIGURE 1. States requiring slash disposal. 



forest land productive, or to preserve esthetic or recreational values 

 for the benefit of the public. 



The various State regulatory measures deal with the following 

 subjects : Control of fire, control of insect pests, control of tree diseases, 

 silvicultural or other measures designed to maintain the productivity 

 of forest land. 



CONTROL OF FIRE 



The laws of every State restrict the use of fire by owners or opera- 

 tors of forest or woodland or impose requirements designed to prevent 

 the spread of fire to the property of others. These restrictions and 

 requirements vary widely in scope. 



REDUCTION OF FIRE HAZARD 



Regulations with this purpose are chiefly in connection with logging 

 operations. California, Oregon, Washington, Minnesota, New Jersey, 

 and Florida (in the Everglades only) provide that any dangerous slash 

 or inflammable debris (as determined by the State forester or equiva- 

 lent agency) must be disposed of by the owner, or at his expense, in a 

 manner approved by the State forester. In these States it is not 



