42 PKELIMINAKY STUDY OF 



dent of the State to obtain the services of a warden as guide in case 

 he wishes to camp within the State forest reserves. This section 

 should be repealed, since regulations safeguarding the camping 

 privilege can* best be made by the State Board of Forestry, which 

 should be given the necessary authority. 



The State now owns two tracts of land suitable for forest reserve 

 purposes the Brushy Mountain tract, in Morgan County, and the 

 Herbert Domain, in Cumberland and the adjoining counties on the 

 southwest. The former is about 12,000 acres in area, and includes 

 3,000 acres of practically virgin timber. The Herbert Domain cov- 

 ers between 10,000 and 11,000 acres, but the timber probably does 

 not exceed the amount that is likely to be needed for the develop- 

 ment of coal mines on the property. Both of these tracts should be 

 handled so as to produce as much timber as possible in the long run. 

 The Board of Prison Commissioners, which now controls these 

 lands, has no authority to sell timber or practice forestry. It is 

 recommended that the surface and timber on these tracts be turned 

 over to the Board of Forestry to administer as State forests. Thus 

 an opportunity may be given to start at once valuable object les- 

 sons in the practice for forestry, as well as experimental investiga- 

 tions. It would also make it possible to stop the loss now incurred 

 by the State through the decay of overmature timber, which cannot 

 be sold under existing statutes. It is further recommended that 

 the Board of Forestry be authorized to purchase land for State for- 

 est purposes, at a rate not to exceed $5 an acre. This authority 

 would probably not be exercised for the present, at least, owing to 

 lack of sufficient funds at the disposal of the board, but would be 

 desirable in case any small tract is needed in connection with the 

 administration of lands now owned by the State and made State 

 forests in accordance with these recommendations. 



(3) The need for educational work by the State Forester, partic- 

 ularly in regard to fire protection and the introduction of conserva- 

 tive methods of forest management, has already been clearly 

 brought out. Special emphasis should be laid on the damage done 

 in stock-raising sections by the practice of burning the woods every 

 year in order to keep down the brush and to get new grass earlier 

 in the spring. Not only does the forest growth deteriorate under 

 such treatment, but the more nutritious annuals and winter grasses 

 are gradually replaced by tougher perennials, so that the grazing 



