The National Forests 



By Hon. D. F. Houston, 

 Secretary of Agriculture 



NEARLY 25 years have passed since the first public 

 timber reservation was made and 10 since the 

 National Forests were put under the Department 

 of Agriculture. Sufficient time has elapsed to determine 

 whether their creation was wise. 



The principal purpose in establishing the Forests was 

 to secure sound economic and industrial development. 



Experience had shown that private ownership of large 

 areas of timberland in most instances involved a sacrifice 

 of public interests. Many private investments in forest 

 lands are made for the mature timber and not for the 

 purpose of growing new tree crops. The long time re- 

 quired to raise a merchantable product, the risk of loss 

 from fire and other destructive agencies, the fear of 

 burdensome taxes, and the uncertainty of market con- 

 ditions usually make the holding of cut-over lands unat- 

 tractive to capital. Hence, the peculiarly public charac- 

 ter of the problem of forestry. 



Before the National Forests were created practically 



no effort was made to protect the timber on public lands 

 from destruction by fire, notwithstanding the fact that 

 the situation was peculiarly hazardous. During the last 

 decade a fire protective system has been developed. Ex- 

 tensive improvements have been made, including more 

 than 25,000 miles of roads, trails, and fire lines, 20,000 

 miles of telephone lines, many lookout stations, and head- 

 quarters for the protective force. In the year 1914, when 

 conditions were exceptionally unfavorable, nearly 7,000 

 fires were fought successfully. They threatened bodies 

 of timber valued at nearly $100,000,000, but the actual 

 damage was less than $500,000. This work not only is 

 saving public property; it is conserving the material for 

 local economic development and for permanent industry. 

 Furthermore, the results of the Federal system have 

 induced many States to take up the work, and active 

 cooperation between the two agencies has followed. 



The service rendered by the National Forests is not 

 confined to protection from fire. The resources are being 



NATIONAL FOREST NURSERY IN CALIFORNIA 

 Mount Shasta in the background. Forest renewal is generally obtained through natural reproduction, but_ planting stock for artificial reforesta- 

 tion work is grown in various nurseries, with a total capacity of 10,000,000 seedlings yearly. 



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