114 AMERICAN FORESTRY 



we have suffered from forest fires during the past season far more than the 

 average. While we see a constantly increasing number of men who own for- 

 ests, introducing the practice of forestry on their lands, and a constantly 

 increasing number of men planting trees on their waste lands; and although 

 all the timber on the national forests is cut under the methods of forestry, it 

 nevertheless is a fact that only one to two per cent of the lumber on the market 

 today has been cut under the principles of forestry. This means that there is 

 a tremendous work before us in the actual work of introducing the practice 

 of forestry on the ground. 



There is a tendency to feel that as soon as a policy is established, the 

 work is done. As soon as the organization of the forest service was accom- 

 plished, it was believed that the fire problem was solved. No greater mistake 

 can be made for we have before us a tremendous work to develop these forests 

 and to make the protection from fire possible. Many of them constitute a 

 vast wilderness, undeveloi)ed and without the means of transportation and 

 communication which are absolutely necessary for fire protection. We have 

 determined that it will cost at least eight million dollars to develop the roads 

 and trails, telephone lines and other equipment necessary for the primary 

 control of fires. When that is done and there is an adequate patrol provided 

 we can guarantee the safety of the national forests, and not until then. When 

 we realize that the national forests comprise only a comparatively small por- 

 tion of the forests of the country, we must understand that there is a great 

 work to do aside from the work of the government on its own lands. 



The duty of the nati tnal forest service extends far beyond the administra- 

 tion of the public forests, '.he government must take the leadership in the 

 development of the science and practice of forestry throughout the country. 

 It is impossible for the government or for the individual states, to do all of 

 the work which is necessary to bring this about. The states must provide also 

 their local forest services. They must make it possible through aid to private 

 owners in fire protection and in solving the problem of taxation, to practice 

 forestry on private lands. 



There must, however, be an immense amount of educational work; and 

 that is the function of associations of this kind. I believe myself that this 

 association may be made a great educational instrument to aid the govern- 

 ment and the states in extending knowledge of forestry throughout the entire 

 country; that this cen'-ral association should extend its influence, combining 

 with state associations and all other educational agencies to aid in the educa- 

 tion of people to the necessity of forestry and to teach them how to practice it. 



