1404 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



aid given as indicated in the last section of this state- 

 ment. 



Every encouragement should be afforded to bring 

 about close utilization of timber in the forest and to pre- 

 vent losses in the handling and use of the manufactured 

 product. This will be accomplished largely through 

 cooperation and research, in bringing information to 

 the knowledge of operators and users of wood products. 

 It is a problem of investigation and industrial education, 

 in which the public should take the leadership. 



Public Assistance and Cooperation. 



In a national policy of forestry the public itself should 

 assume certain responsibilities and it should assume cer- 

 tain burdens. It should cooperate with and assist pri- 

 vate owners in carrying out their part of the undertaking. 

 The measures of cooperation fall under the following 

 heads : 



1. Fire Protection. — As already indicated, the public 

 should directly share the burden of fire protection, espe- 

 cially in a preventive system and in the cost of suppres- 

 sion. 



2. Assistance in Forestry. — The public should assist 

 owners in working out plans for cutting that will pro- 

 mote natural reproduction, in planting, and in other 

 measures of forestry. The State should offer planting 

 stock at cost and cooperate with the owners in estab- 

 lishing plantations. 



3. Taxation. — The States should adopt a form of 

 taxation calculated to encourage good forest practice. 

 The present methods of taxation, with their lack of 

 uniformity in application, often tend to promote prema- 

 ture and wasteful cutting and to discourage forest re- 

 newal. To promote action by the State, the Federal 

 Government should assist the States to investigate the 

 current methods of taxation, their effect in causing pre- 

 mature and wasteful cutting and in increasing the diffi- 

 culties of holding cut-over lands for tree growth, and 

 should assist in drafting model tax laws applicable to 

 various forest conditions. 



4. Forest Loans. — Existing legislation concerning 

 farm loans should be extended to include loans for the 

 purchase and improvement of forest lands, to encourage 

 the holding of lands previously acquired, where the pur- 

 pose of the owner is to hold and protect cut-over lands 

 or those having growing timber, to reforest lands by 

 seeding or planting, or to use other measures in pro- 

 moting forest production. To obtain the benefit of such 

 loans, which should be for a maximum period of 50 

 years, the land owner should enter into a specific obliga- 

 tion to retain the land in growing timber and protect and 

 care for it during the life of the loan. 



5. A Survey of Forest Resources. — Funds should be 

 provided whereby the Federal Government in coopera- 

 tion with State and private interests may make a survey 

 of the forest resources of the country. This would 



determine the quantities of timber suitable for different 

 industrial uses, the current consumption of forest prod- 

 ucts, the probable requirements of the different regions 

 for material, the possible production of the forests by 

 growth to meet these requirements, and other matters 

 which will aid in developing the national forest policy. 



6. Land Classification. — The public should cooperate 

 in land classification to aid owners to put their lands to 

 the most productive use. The public should aid in bring- 

 ing settlers upon lands suited to agriculture, discourag- 

 ing speculative undertakings that lead to the deception 

 of innocent investors and efforts for the colonization of 

 lands unsuited to the purpose. Land classification would 

 indicate the classes of lands which should be devoted to 

 the production of timber, either permanently or pending 

 a development which would make possible their suc- 

 cessful settlement. 



7. Research Work. — Adequate funds should be pro- 

 vided to enable the Government and other public agen- 

 cies to carry on investigative work needed in carrying 

 out a national policy of forestry. This would include 

 investigations on a larger scale than at present in deter- 

 mining the best methods of forest practice, and also 

 research in forest products. 



The National Program. 



A program for the nation must be an aggregate of 

 local programs adapted to different conditions, and cor- 

 related and standardized through the Federal Govern- 

 ment to meet the broader requirements of the whole 

 country. A national program cannot be put into effect 

 in its entirety at once. Local programs will also probably 

 have to be worked out by steps. Some States are al- 

 ready able to go forward more rapidly than others, 

 partly because of their financial strength and partly be- 

 cause experience has already demonstrated the methods 

 of protection and forestry required to secure results on 

 the ground. 



The initiation of a national policy of forestry requires 

 as one of the first steps the passage of a Federal law 

 that recognizes its objectives and provides authority and 

 means for the Government to extend cooperation with 

 the States in the protection and perpetuation of the for- 

 ests under their jurisdiction along the foregoing lines. 

 At the same time, Federal appropriations for the pur- 

 chase of forest lands should be greatly increased. 



Much can be accomplished pending such a law. Thus, 

 there should be at once a joining of hands in a most 

 vigorous campaign for fire protection, that will educate 

 the public to the dangers from fire and lead to more 

 effective action in all forest regions. Individual States 

 should go forward with plans for better legislation and 

 larger support of forestry. But the passage of a basic 

 Federal law with the aid that the Nation can offer 

 would make possible the inauguration of a policy that 

 would secure results impossible without such national 

 action. 



