166 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



a mistaken economy. Let us examine briefly the oper- 

 ation of the Weeks Act. 



Since initiation of the acquisition work in 191 1, the 

 Government has acquired 2,047,718 acres of forest land 

 at the head waters of navigable eastern rivers. The cost 

 to the Government, including the land, examination of 

 titles, land surfaces, and all overhead expense, has been 

 $5.99 |K"r acre. Since its acquisition this land has steadily 

 increased in value. Many of the tracts have more than 

 doubled in value and the demonstrable value of the 

 entire holdings, including land and timber, is placed by 

 the Forest Service at more than $19,000,000. This is 

 an increase of 60 per cent over their original cost and 

 the estimate is admitted to be a very conservative one. 

 In addition, the area is returning to the United States 

 Treasury over $100,000 annually by virtue of the sale 

 of timber and other resources under strict regulations 

 which are gradually increasing the timber productivity 

 of the land. 



Coming at this particular time, the action of the 

 Bureau of the Budget, if concurred in by Congress, will 

 do more than stop the acquisition of additional land. It 

 will deprive the Government of an unusual opportunity 

 to obtain some very desirable tracts at exceedingly favor- 

 able prices. The present economic situation makes now 

 available forest lands at prices probably lower than at any 

 time since the passage of the act, because of the need or 

 desire of many owners to convert their cut-over lands 

 into cash. 



The significance of this opportunity is clearly reflected 

 in the proposed purchase approved by the National 

 Conservation Commission in December last, of 135,000 

 acres of forest land in different tracts at an average of 

 $3-33 P^r acre, or little more than one-half the average 

 price paid for land previously purchased. According to 

 the Forest Service, it has pending today in localities ap- 

 proved by the commission as desirable for purchase, 

 offers aggregating almost 1,000,000 acres which may be 

 purchased on equally favorable terms. 



But let us not overlook the primary object of acquiring 

 these lands. It is to protect and maintain the navigability 

 of eastern rivers and the property and public interests 

 dependent upon their navigability. That it is impossible 

 to express in dollars and cents the value thus served 

 is unfortunate, because, if it were, we believe the Bureau 



of the Budget would not have dared to recommend the 

 practical suspension of the acquisition work. The re- 

 sponsibility of the Federal Government to maintain the 

 navigability of its rivers is generally and clearly recog- 

 nized. Any action suggestive of the abandonment of 

 that responsibility as provided for in the Weeks Act 

 should be met by strong and wide-spread public protest. 

 Other public interests are involved. These lands will 

 not only serve to preserve the headwaters of important 

 rivers, but they will be the sources of much needed 

 lumber in years to come. .A^nd today they provide recre- 

 ational areas of great public value to the densely popu- 

 lated East. Their potential value as timber producing 

 and recreational areas is tremendous. 



We believe the Bureau of the Budget has misweighed 

 public interests in halting work under the Weeks Act. 

 The character of this work is such that a steady and 

 continuous functioning of the agencies already estab- 

 lished under the act is essential. The acquirement of 

 large tracts of land, if done efficiently and on the best 

 terms possible for the Government, must proceed grad- 

 ually and without haste. That is the basis upon which 

 for ten years the work has been planned and carried 

 forward, and that is one reason why its results reflect 

 conspicuous efficiency and progress. 



If a reduction of the federal expenditures is absolutely 

 imperative, let it be a moderate reduction which will 

 permit the established and well-working agencies to 

 function on an efficient scale, and not a reduction which 

 virtually annihilates the operating agencies. To disrupt 

 the work now not only is sure to be in the' long run 

 very expensive economy, but it threatens the resumption 

 of the work on an adequate scale when the financial 

 stress upon the Government may be less acute. An 

 appropriation of $500,000 for the coming fiscal year 

 one-half that of the present year will enable the work 

 to proceed in an effective way because of more favorable 

 land values. At its recent meeting in Washington, the 

 .\merican Forestry Association passed a resolution 

 urging upon Congress the appropriation of adequate 

 funds for the continuance of the work. Readers of 

 .\nierican Forestry are urged to lose no time in commu- 

 nicating their sentiments to their representatives in 

 Congress. 



MORE WORK AND LESS TALK 



T F THE ARMY EXPERTS, during times of peace, 

 * made no effort to improve guns, ammunition, and 

 equipment, or failed to study new weapons of w-arfare. 

 we should charge them with laxity, to say the least. If 

 in times of general good health the medical experts made 

 i!f) atteni])t to guard against the next outbreak of influ- 

 inz.i. snialli)ox, or typhoid, we should say they lacked 

 foresight and energy. But in forestry we show all these 

 forms of laxity and neglect. We are not merely per- 



mitting what forests we have left to be destroyed at an 

 appalling rate, but we are not even finding out how to 

 replace them once we show enough courage and energy 

 to call a halt on destruction. 



In the long run the intensive practice of forestry, on 

 the scale needed to yield the timber we require, must 

 be based on a minute knowledge of the life-history and 

 habits of trees, singly and in larsje groups. To get this 

 knowledge will require a vast deal of investigation, ex- 



