THE PENNSYLVANIA FORESTRY ASSOCIATION REPORTS 



By F. L. 



FORESTRY in Pennsylvania has made good progress 

 in the year 1921. There have been added 17,136 

 acres to the 1.102,695 acres in the 23 State Forests, mak- 

 ing a grand total of 1,125.611 acres, which were pur- 

 chased at a cost of $2,545,135. The total amount which 

 has been expended for administration, developmem and 

 improvement was $4,702,156, making a total expenditure 

 for land and care of $7,247,291. The State Forests are 

 now conservatively valued at $12,000,000. showing a 

 net gain of $4,752,709. Extensive plans had been for- 

 mulated by the Departmertt of Forestry for the acquisi- 

 tion of more land, but the Governor was compelled to 

 veto the appropriation of $500,000 for this purpose, owing 

 to lack of State funds. 



The forest lands of the State have been divided into 

 26 forest districts, each in charge of a district forester, 

 each district containing from 350,000 to 500,000 acres. 

 In three of these districts no land is owned by the State. 



There are 380 State-owned buildings on the State 

 Forests, valued at $294,038. 



There are 43 forests and 87 forest rangers in the em- 

 ploy of the Department of Forestry, while 2,488 Forest 

 Fire Wardens who watch for and fight fires are inter- 

 mittently employed. 



Much work has been done in improving the State for- 

 ests since their purchase. Approximately 2,000 miles 

 of boundaries have been surveyed, cleared and marked, 

 and 4,000 miles of roads, trails and fire lanes constructed 

 and maintained. 



Scattered through the State are some tracts of forest 

 land of unusual interest and scenic beauty. Twelve of 

 these have been set aside by the State Forest Commis- 

 sion as State Monuments. A number of State Parks 

 have been created for their educational, recreational and 

 esthetic value. 



The outstanding feature of forestry in Pennsylvania 

 was the appropriation of $1,000,000 for forest protection 

 against fire for two years. 



The Pocono Forestry Association maintains a splen- 

 did fire-fighting organization, and has five wooden towers 

 equipped with telephone lines. Its members also plant 

 annually thousands of young trees in the Pocono Moun- 

 tains. 



The Anthracite Forest Protective Association in the 

 hard coal region has four steel and one wooden towers, 

 with telephone lines, and a good fire-fighting force. 



The Blair County Game, Fish and Forestry Associa- 

 tion not only aids in suppressing forest fires, but also is 

 active in planting trees and in protecting and propagating 

 game and fish. 



The Central Pennsylvania Forest Protective Associa- 

 tion and the McKean County Protective Association 

 have rendered valuable aid in their respective localities. 

 The Lycoming County Protective Association has as- 

 sisted in the protection of forests in that county by reason 

 of contributing to patrol service, and educational work. 



Bitler 



The Boy Scouts of America, the various railroad and 

 water supply companies have been helpful in reducing 

 forest fire losses. 



The State Forest Nurseries, since their inception, have 

 supplied 48,853,936 trees, of which 34,216,727 were 

 planted on the State Forests, the plantations now cov- 

 ering 22,410 acres. 



Albout 4,000,000 seedlings and transplants will be 

 available for free distribution during the Spring of 1922, 

 and there will remain 8,000,000 too small for present use, 

 but which will be distributed in the Spring of 1923. 



The Department of Forestry is co-operating with pri- 

 vate timberland owners throughout the State by making 

 examinations and recommendations as to the practice 

 of forestry on their holdings. 



The State Forest Academy, at Mount Alto, has con- 

 tinued to supply its yearly quota of men splendidly qual- 

 ified to care for the future forest of our State. 



The Department of Forestry in Pennsylvania State 

 College has a steadily growing studest body. 



Lehigh University is constantly improving its Arbore- 

 tum and experimental plantations, which wi'Il give much 

 useful information as to the value of different species of 

 trees, their comparative growth, etc. 



The new Allegheny National Forest will comprise 

 412,000 acres in Warren, McKean, Forest and Elk Coun- 

 ties, and a tentative allotment of $150,000 for the pur- 

 chase of lands has been made by the Government. The 

 headquarters of this forest will be at Warren. 



The State of Pennsylvania, formerly the largest pro- 

 ducer of timber in the United States, uses annually about 

 two and a half billion feet of lumber, of which it now pro- 

 duces but one-fifth. The annual loss to the State, due to 

 the falling off in its lumber production, amounts to $100,- 

 000,000 twice as much as it costs to run the State 

 government. We pay at least $50,000,000 a year for lum- 

 ber imported, which should be grown at home, and more 

 than $25,000,000 a year freight on this lumber. The loss 

 through closing of wood industries, floods, which could be 

 prevented, etc., represents at least $25,000,000 more. 



The United States Chamber of .Commerce has ap- 

 pointed a Forestry Committee which is making an ex- 

 haustive study of forest conditions in this country, visit- 

 ing and holding conferences in different sections. The 

 report is awaited with interest. Our President, Dr. Henry 

 S. Drinker, is a member of this Committee and is Chair- 

 man of the Subcommittee on Timberland Taxation. 



The fiscal year of the Pennsylvania Forestry Associa- 

 tion ended December i, 1921 with a very creditable 

 showing. 



Officers elected at the annual meeting for 1922 were: 

 Dr. J. T. Rothrock, President Emeritus; Dr. Henry S. 

 Drinker, President; Mr. Robert S. Conklin, Mr. J. Free- 

 man Hendricks, Mr. Albert Lewis and Mr. Samuel L. 

 Smedley, Vice Presidents; Mr. Samuel Marshall, Gen- 

 eral Secretary and Mr. F. L. Bitler, Recording Secretary 

 and Treasurer. 



