THE APPALACHIAN FORESTS 



Putting the New Law Into Operation 



CHE new national forest law calls into action several official agencies, but 

 the initiative in the purchase of land as well as the consummation of 

 such purchase when authorized rests with the Department of Agricul- 

 ture which, of course, acts through the Forest Service, The Service has 

 made very complete arrangements for an efficient carrying out of the full 

 intent of the law. Assistant Forester William L. Hall, who conducted the 

 investigation in the Southern Appalachian and White Mountains under the 

 ^25,000 appropriation in 1907, and is therefore well fitted for the task by per- 

 sonal knowledge of the conditions in both sections, has been recalled from 

 Madison, Wisconsin, where he has been in charge of the branch of forest prod- 

 ucts since the opening of the new laboratory last year and has been put in 

 charge of the work of establishing the new national forests. McGarvey Cline, 

 who was Mr. Hall's second in command at Madison, has been put in charge 

 of the branch of forest products with headquarters at that place. 



Mr. Hall has already established his office in Washington and is at work 

 on the great and responsible task in which so many people in so many states 

 are interested. For reasons which were mentioned in American Forestry last 

 month the White Mountain situation is being especially studied, but the south- 

 ern mountains are also being districted and undergoing preliminary exam- 

 inations and offers of land are being received and considered from several of 

 the states which have passed the necessary enabling act. 



In this matter of offers of land, the need of public spirit on the part of 

 land owners cannot be too strongly emphasized. Here is an enterprise which 

 has been urged for the public good. The unselfishness of its advocates has 

 been repeatedly and sincerely affirmed. Now comes the actual test of citizen- 

 ship. Will those who hold the lands recognize the public necessity, as Con- 

 gress has somewhat reluctantly done, and meet the government half-way? 

 Or will they hold their property for impossible prices and thereby delay and 

 obstruct the development of this great enterprise? 



The correspondence received thus far, while considerable, is not sufficient 

 to answer these questions. When the circular explaining the plans and 

 methods of the government has been thoroughly distributed fuller indications 

 will doubtless appear. Thus far there have been several moderate offers made 

 from both north and south, and some impossible ones. One proposal was made 

 to sell the government a tract, not of the highest timber value, for seventy- 

 five dollars an acre, which was about eight or ten times other offers that 

 represented quite as great a value. Owners who hold at such figures may 

 as well save their paper and postage. Such offers cannot be considered. 



It has been hoped that some owners of means might make gifts of land 

 to the government, as Mr. Harriman did to the state of New York. This is 



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