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AMERICAN FORESTRY 



VOL. XXVI 



JULY 1920 



EDITORIAL 



NO. 319 



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NOW IS THE TIME FOR ACTION 



"T\EPLETION of the forests of the United States 

 - L ^ within 60 to 75 years with a resultant slump in all 

 enterprise that depends wholly, or in part, on forest 

 products can be averted if action is taken without further 

 delay. 



While at the present rate of cutting it is agreed that 

 the forests of the United States are sufficient for only 

 60 to 75 years, it is pointed out by forestry experts that 

 if private organizations adopt logging methods that will 

 protect young growth and leave logged-off lands in con- 

 dition for forest renewal, the young trees of today will 

 be of merchantable size when needed. This is depend- 



ent on keeping fires out of the forests so that young 

 trees will have an opportunity to grow. 



Since it takes from 60 to 100 years to produce forest 

 trees of commercial size, private owners of timber lands 

 are not likely to be interested in forest reproduction as 

 an investment. The relationship of timbered areas to 

 future needs ; their incentive to tourist travel ; the fact 

 that they serve as water reservoirs, etc., make the public 

 vitally interested in seeing them continued and for this 

 reason State and National acquirement of logged-off 

 areas and protection of such areas against fire is pro- 

 posed as the solution of the continued timber supply 

 problem. 



FOR PERPETUATION OF OUR FORESTS 



PfcEMANDS for national and state legislation for the 

 -*-^ purpose of perpetuating our forests are made by the 

 Forestry Committee of the American Paper and Pulp 

 Association in a recent report. These demands are broad 

 gauged, comprehensive and practical. They provide for: 



1. Co-operation with States for forest protection, 

 care and management and the distribution of forest plant- 

 ing material. 



2. Classification of National Forest lands and co- 

 operation with States in classification of private forest 

 linds. 



3. The continued acquisition of forest lands on the 

 watersheds of navigable streams in New England, the 

 Southern Appalachians and other suitable regions. 



4. Enlarging the National Forests by exchange of 

 timber for land. 



5. Replanting devastated areas in the National 

 Forests. 



6. Continuous research and investigation in the utili- 

 zation of forest resources and products. 



7. The extension of the Federal Farm Loan Act to 

 include loans for the purchase or improvement of cut- 

 over or immature forest lands, or for holding, protecting 

 and reforesting such lands. 



It is expected that bills providing for the main fea- 

 tures of the demands will be introduced in Congress at 

 the next Session and that a vigorous effort will be made 

 to secure adequate appropriations for putting the recom- 

 mendations into effect. 



FOREST FIRE PROTECTION IN PENNSYLVANIA 



TT is not surprising that Pennsylvania, which shared 

 -* with New York the leading position in timber pro- 

 duction for 30 years and had by 1918 dropped to twen- 

 tieth place, should become concerned about the protec- 

 tion of its remaining timber and the source of its future 

 supply. One can read in the timber history of the State 

 the too common story of destructive logging and ex- 

 travagant waste, followed by recurrent fires. There re- 

 mains hut the shell of a resource capable under proper 

 management of having met currently the ever increas- 



ing demands of the State for timber products. Penn- 

 sylvania's proud record as a lumber producing State is 

 but a memory, the highest point in production having 

 been reached in 1899, while the production of today is 

 that of Civil War times. From a state of independence 

 and ability to export timber, it has passed to one of de- 

 pendence upon outside sources for material to meet its 

 expanding industrial and domestic requirements. 



In an effort to bring home to the citizens of the State 

 its critical timber situation, Governor Sproul has issued 



