REPORT OF SPECIAL FORESTRY COMMITTEE 43 



and National soil surveys for many years have 

 shown a considerable area of light sandy soil of 

 inferior agricultural quality in this district. While 

 there are other places in Wisconsin with soil of this 

 nature which could, no doubt, be better used for 

 forestry than for farming, if we are to have a forest 

 reserve at all the selection in a general way has 

 been well made. 



There is no section of the state where so large 

 an area of sparsely settled lands can be found. 

 The State Forester's records show that in a district 

 equal to twenty-two townships within the reserve, an 

 area of five hundred square miles, there are now 

 but twenty-one farmer settlers. And this report 

 from the office of the State Forester the Committee 

 found upon investigation to be true; that while 

 there were other people living within this district, 

 they were either resorters, shackers, or trappers 

 at least, not making their living at farming. 



Certain it is, that in carrying on the work of 

 reforestation by the encouragement and protection 

 of the natural second growth, in order to make it 

 profitable the land must be held in considerable 

 areas by reason of the expense of maintaining the 

 roads, fire lines, telephone system, and other things 

 necessary to the conduct of the work. Still, if the 

 poorer lands in some of the better settled portions 

 which are surrounded by farms and improved lands 

 could be used for this purpose, the aid of the set- 

 tler in keeping back the fires and protecting the tim- 

 ber would be of no little help. For that reason it 

 would seem that the poorer lands in all parts of 

 Wisconsin which will grow white and norway pine 

 should be acquired for this purpose and every effort 

 made to have them replanted to trees, whether in 

 the hands of the State or of private owners. 



Future commercial interests of the State may de- 

 mand its extension into other sections. 



While climatic conditions may be discouraging to 

 settlement a hindrance in growing certain crops 

 we do not consider them germane to the question 



