PRIVATE FORESTRY. 9 



or effort on the land to secure public benefits or to avoid injury to the 

 community. It is the speculative character of ownership that ex- 

 plains the lack of incentive to timberland owners to handle their 

 lands constructively. And we may not expect that such owners will 

 take any different view or action on their own initiative. The profits 

 of forestry, though very real, do not furnish in themselves a sufficient 

 incentive to cause the change. 



A CONSTRUCTIVE PROGRAM FOR PRIVATE FORESTRY. 



I 



In seeking a solution for the forestry problem on private lands, it 

 should be recognized that its very character is such as to require 

 public participation, assistance, and direction. There are certain 

 things that the public should do, and in a liberal spirit, to make 

 forestry by private timberland owners possible and effective. At the 

 same time the public should insist by adequate legislation that the 

 destructive processes be stopped, and that methods be adopted which 

 will leave the forests in a productive condition. To secure these ends 

 there is necessary a broad program that is practicable and equitable, 

 based on consideration of existing economic conditions. Its forma- 

 tion calls for the most careful constructive thought, with no point of 

 view neglected. 



The limits of this paper do not permit the discussion of all the 

 problems that must be considered in an effective program of for- 

 estry on private lands. Some principles may, however, be briefly 

 indicated. A program of forestry should include, first of all, com- 

 pulsory fire protection ; and this should apply to second growth and 

 cut-over lands as well as to old timber. State laws should be un- 

 equivocal, with adequate penalties, in their requirements upon tim- 

 berland owners for protective measures, including the prevention 

 of dangerous accumulations of slashings. Fire protection should be 

 organized and under State supervision. The States should provide 

 an effective organization to enforce the fire laws and to administer 

 the organized protective work. Liberal funds should be made avail- 

 able for patrol, improvements, supervision, and inspection. In most 

 of the States the laws are not drastic enough ; there is not sufficient 

 direct responsibility on the owner, and there are not provided ade- 

 quate means to execute the laws and administer the protective work. 

 The damage by forest fires can be stopped. Its continuance is due to 

 a combined failure on the part of the public and the owners. 



The methods of cutting determine whether for one or perhaps sev- 

 eral tree generations the lands will be productive or not. The pub- 

 lic in its own protection should prohibit destructive methods of cut- 

 ting that injure the community and the public at large. With the 

 cooperation of the public, constructive measures of forestry are 

 feasible. They should be mandatory. 



