THE FORESTS OF ALASKA 



33 



the conditions that would exist without them and will 

 exist if they are destroyed. Nor can the economic posi- 

 tion of the forests be judged by their aggregate extent 

 and total volume of wood and timber. In a country of 

 vast distances, sparse population, high cost of labor, and 



AN ALASKAN FISH CANNERY 

 The fisheries constitute one of the most important industries in Alaksa. On the two National Forests 

 there are seventy-five canneries, salteries and other fishing stations. These establishments use large 

 quantities of material furnished from the National Forests, lumber for packing boxes, piling for 

 docks and traps, material for docks, plank walks, etc. 



meagre facilities for transporta- 

 tion, it is the presence of forest 

 supplies immediately at hand 

 that may make the development 

 of industry and the establish- 

 ment of homes in a given local- 

 ity possible. 



The interior forests of Alaska 

 are being destroyed at an appall- 

 ing rate by forest fires. Condi- 

 tions existing in the western 

 United States 25 years ago are 

 repeating themselves in Alaska. 

 The entrance of the white man 

 brought the forest fire, and he 

 has succeeded in a. short period 

 of less than 20 years in destroy- 

 ing the forests to an average ex- 

 tent of fully a million acres a 

 year. 



The summer season, though 

 short, is hot and dry, and except 

 where a great deal of moisture 

 is in the soil and moss, the forest 

 will burn. Especially on the 



slopes and benches the ground cover dries out sufficiently 

 to carry fire. The fire usually does not burn rapidly but 

 eats its way over the ground, burning up the vegetable 

 duff and moss and any slash and snags that may lie in its 

 path. The flat-rooted trees that depend largely on the 

 vegetable deposit on the surface of the ground have their 



roots killed, and soon topple over. The past season was 

 an unusually dry one in Alaska and an exceptionally large 

 area of forest was destroyed. How extensive this area 

 aggregates cannot be estimated with any degree of accu- 

 racy, but without question several million acres were 

 burned over. It is imperative 

 that immediate steps be taken by 

 the Government to stop this un- 

 necessary damage. 



PUBLIC OWNERSHIP PROMOTES 



DEVELOPMENT 



The continuance of the Na- 

 tional Forests and their efficient 

 administration will have a very 

 large influence on the develop- 

 ment of the region in which they 

 are located and on that of the 

 whole Territory as well. Thev 

 were established to ensure the 

 protection, right utilization and 

 perpetuation of the timber re- 

 sources. Just as all National 

 Forests, they contain resources 

 other than timber for whose de- 

 velopment provision must be 



A TYPICAL VIEW AMONG THE ISLANDS OF THE TONGASS NATIONAL FOREST 



The Tongass National Forest in southeast Alaska comprises most of the wooded islands of the Alexander 

 Archipelago. Many of the islands are characterized by relatively low elevations, though 

 some of the larger islands, such as Baranof, Admiralty, Chichagof, and Prince of Wales, have high, 

 rugged mountains rising in places above timber line. The Tongass National Forest, with a land 

 area of approximately 15 million acres, has a shore line of over 12,000 miles. 



made. The administration of these areas involves not 

 merely the management of the timber. The Forests 

 should be made to serve in the building up of the country, 

 the establishment of industries, and the creation of oppor- 

 tunities for a permanent population. 



One of the advantages of public ownership is that 



