268 



Yearbook^ of Agriculture 1949 



Large private-forest holders in the 

 North appreciate the importance of 

 good fire control and support State 

 efforts to this end. A few have their 

 own fire-control organizations. The 

 critical 1947 fire season in Maine 

 caused staggering losses in organized 

 towns in southern Maine, where pro- 

 tection was under the supervision of 

 local fire wardens. Lacking specific 

 authority, and without time to organize 

 the towns, the forest commissioner 

 could give only limited help. When an 

 appeal was made to him, he augmented 

 local forces and helped bring in Fed- 

 eral aid. At the same time, the State 

 organization protected all unorganized 

 towns in northern Maine and losses 

 were insignificant. Large landowners 

 who had insisted on a good protective 

 system deserve some of the credit for 

 the efficient performance where the 

 State was free to act. 



Control of forest-insect pests and 

 diseases has been largely a public func- 

 tion, but private landowners have 

 cooperated by making their lands 

 available for experimental use and by 

 supporting public agencies in their 

 control program. 



The large forest holdings furnish 

 relatively good watershed and soil pro- 

 tection. Throughout the North, fire 

 control is one of the most effective 

 methods of reducing flood runoff and 

 protecting the soil. Local damage due 

 to heavy cutting, downhill skidding, 

 and mountain roads has resulted in 

 erosion and some watershed deteriora- 

 tion, but that is a local rather than 

 widespread condition. 



More critical is clear cutting that 

 results in serious frost damage. Such 

 damage is not uncommon in the Alle- 

 gheny plateau, sections of the Adiron- 

 dacks, and other regions where clear 

 cutting may expose land surfaces that 

 are subject to poor air drainage. Once 

 all the timber cover is removed, a frost 

 pocket develops that may persist for 

 decades before a forest cover can be 

 reestablished. Weather records taken 

 in frost pockets show that they are defi- 

 nitely cooler than surrounding lands on 



TOTAL AREA OF LARGE FOREST HOLDINGS 

 IN THE NORTH AND AVERAGE PERCENT- 

 AGE OF FOREST LAND BURNED EACH 

 YEAR, BY STATES, 1941-45. DATA ARE 

 BASED ON REAPPRAISAL OF THE FOREST 

 SITUATION, 1946 



Total 

 Land in forest area 



large burned 



State holdings annually 



Acres Percent 



Kentucky 197, 033 1. 20 



Maine 8,618,092 .10 



Michigan 2,371,353 .10 



Minnesota 335, 128 . 2O 



Missouri 319,000 2. IO 



New Hampshire 484,689 .24 



New York 888,310 .20 



Pennsylvania 104, 407 . 49 



Vermont 278, 254 . 05 



West Virginia 445,672 1.40 



Wisconsin 579, 743 . 06 



Total. 



14,621,681 



clear nights when heat loss through 

 earth radiation is rapid. 



A number of large holdings are op- 

 erated on an extensive sustained-yield 

 basis. Sustained yield often is followed 

 where cutting standards are far from 

 the best that might be used, although 

 companies that practice poor silvicul- 

 ture obviously are obliged to own and 

 protect more land than they otherwise 

 would require. Community sustained 

 yield is a strong objective of pulp and 

 paper companies that must protect 

 large investments. It is also the ob- 

 jective of the Goodman Lumber 

 Company, the Luther and Watson 

 managements, and the Western Mary- 

 land Railway. 



Relatively little progress has been 

 made, however, toward building up 

 community, county, and State sus- 

 tained-yield forestry throughout the 

 North. Beginnings are being made in 

 Vermont, New Hampshire, and Wis- 

 consin. Industries have taken the lead 

 over public agencies in sponsoring 

 such programs. Integrated sustained 

 use of all products of the forest should 

 be the objective, and vastly greater 



