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AMERICAN FORESTRY 



VOL. 27 



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MAY, 1921 



NO. 329 



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EDITORIAL 



THE SNELL BILL NOW BEFORE CONGRESS 



rp HE Snell Bill for a national forest policy was reintro- 

 * duced in Congress on the opening day of the present 

 session, April II. This is the bill approved by the United 

 States Forest Service and endorsed by the American 

 Forestry Association, a number of State forestry asso- 

 ciations, newspaper publishers, lumbermen, paper and 

 pulp manufacturers, women's clubs and organizations of 

 various classes throughout the United States. It is the 

 bill which, in the opinion of these organizations, best 

 provides for the forestry needs of the country. It will 

 assure adequate fire protection of the mature forests 

 and of the growing forests ; assure the reforestation of 

 a goodly portion of 81,000,000 acres of denuded forest 

 land; assure the acquisition by the United States Gov- 

 ernment of large areas of land suitable for growing for- 

 ests ; and assure necessary study and investigation of 

 forestry, all tending to produce and maintain enough 

 forests for the future needs of the nation. 



This is the bill for which the American Forestry 

 Association has been so vigorously campaigning since 

 its inception. The Association has spent a great deal of 

 its effort in educating the public regarding the necessity 

 for the legislation proposed by the Snell Bill. The 

 public is now in a most receptive mood ; in fact, it may 

 truthfully be said that a greater portion of the people 

 are now earnestly thinking, talking and advocating 

 forestry than at any period in all the previous history 

 of forestry in this country. The newspapers are pub- 

 lishing numerous articles and editorials urging State 

 Legislatures and Congress to give attention to this sub- 

 ject, and if there has ever been a time when public agi- 



tation for any measure should have effect on State Legis- 

 latures and Congress, now is that time. Never were 

 conditions more suitable for securing the forestry legis- 

 lation which is needed. 



The Snell Bill will be opposed as many good bills 

 are opposed by people who say they have better meas- 

 ures, by people who differ regarding some of its pro- 

 visions, by people who do not favor any forestry legis- 

 lation at all, and by people who favor extreme legislation 

 in forestry; but it is evident to anyone who has heard 

 the arguments for and against it, that the Snell Bill is 

 quite the most satisfactory one judged from every view- 

 point. 



It is not only a bill which is most likely to be passed 

 by Congress, but it is a bill which, if passed, will, in 

 its operation, bring about the forestry reforms which 

 are needed. The fact that it is approved by Colonel 

 W. B. Greeley, head of the United States Forest Service, 

 an experienced and broad-minded forester, understand- 

 ing the needs of the public, as well as the rights of the 

 timber land owner, is perhaps the best argument as to 

 why the bill should have the support of the public and 

 be passed by Congress. The next best argument for it 

 is the fact that it has been endorsed by over one hundred 

 prominent organizations representing almost all lines of 

 public thought and endeavor. 



It is to be hoped that Congress will give early con- 

 sideration to this bill and that it will recognize it as one 

 of the most necessary as well as one of the most con- 

 structive pieces of legislation which is likely to come 

 before it at this or any other session. 



FOREST PROTECTION WEEK 



PRESIDENT HARDING has echoed public interest 

 * and public desire for action by naming the week of 

 May 22 as Forest Fire Protection Week throughout the 

 United States. This is a most effective means of calling 

 attention to the need of more and better protection of 

 forests against fire. The fact that at least $20,000,000 

 in actual loss and a great many million dollars in poten- 

 tial loss are caused by fire in the forests every year 

 should have been sufficient to have resulted many years 

 ago in necessary state and national legislation for pro- 

 tecting forests from fire. Unfortunately, it has not 

 done so. What protection is now available under small 



state and national appropriations is very far indeed from 

 being adequate. Perhaps the governors of the states 

 who co-operate with the President in his earnest desire 

 to emphasize in the public mind the need of protecting 

 our forests will take a most important step in this direc- 

 tion, that of urging state legislatures to increase existing 

 appropriations and to provide for appropriations where 

 there are none. The fact that the Chief Executive of the 

 nation recognizes the seriousness of the fire menace and 

 calls for a week of public agitation regarding it, is evi- 

 dence enough that something should be done and done 

 quickly, if we are to stop these terrible losses each year. 



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