1476 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



the State and National Government until the area of 

 publicly owned timberland is at least twice as great as at 

 present. 



Only by prompt and energetic measures to accomplish 

 purposes in harmony with these principles can there be 

 foreseen any possibility of alleviating a most serious 

 timber shortage within the next generation. 



A FOREST POLICY 

 BY FRANK L. MOORE, PRESIDENT NEWTON FALLS PAPER COMPANY 



IN discussing a Forest Policy it should be approached 

 from two viewpoints, each related to the other. The 

 two should be considered as related if we will accomplish 

 practical forestry. This is too large a subject and with 

 too many ramifications to be dealt with briefly except in 

 generalities. 



Federal Policy. — I am firmly convinced there should 

 emanate from our Federal Government a practical con- 

 structive program of forestry, one that will not only 

 tend to make our forests reproductive, to conserve them, 

 but at the same time utilize them in the best interests of 

 recreation and practical forestry. By practical forestry 

 I mean where the forests are managed as a business 

 proposition. This program should be a guide for the 

 States to follow so far as adapted to the national condi- 

 tions of each. I am also convinced that the direct man- 

 agement of forest lands by the Federal Government 

 should be confined only to those lands that are owned 

 by the Federal Government. 



This Federal program of forestry should be so plain 

 and so imperative as to convey to the various States of 

 the Union the necessity of each State immediately enact- 

 ing such laws as will accomplish reforesting of State and 

 privately owned lands, utilizing a matured tree crop, 

 making the watersheds of our rivers and streams real 

 watersheds, emphasizing at all times the necessity of 

 having our forests so handled and operated as to improve 

 them for the pleasure seeker and maintain restricted areas 

 for wild game. 



State Policy. — First of all is adequate fire protection. 

 The necessity of this needs no argument. A definite 

 survey should be made of our state-owned lands to 

 determine exactly what we have. By this I mean the 

 amount and species of timber, the nature of soil, the 

 amount of burned-over land, cut-over land, land that is 

 fit only for reforesting ; in other words, a complete inven- 

 tory. This information should be obtained from all 

 owning 500 acres or more of timberlands. 



Each of our agricultural counties through its Board 

 of Supervisors should employ a forester to make an in- 

 ventory or survey of the lands that are fit only for grow- 

 ing trees, giving its area, the owner, the nature of the 

 soil, etc. 



With this information in hand there should be some 

 definite policy outlined for the management and opera- 

 tion of our state-owned lands that would permit of the 

 cutting of the matured crop under the closest and most 

 strict regulations, so as to maintain the forest in a repro- 

 ductive condition, and also as a game preserve and en- 

 hance its beauty for a recreation park. The waste lands 



should be reforested much faster than is being done at 

 the present time. 



There should be a definitely outlined policy of educat- 

 ing the people to a point where they should demand of 

 our legislature appropriations to have the State lands 

 reforested. The condition of the matured crop on our 

 State lands should be so put before the people as to show 

 them that this crop could be utilized at an immense profit 

 to the State, and with absolutely safety to the forests, 

 and in many cases improving the forests from the 

 aesthetic point of view. 



Privately Owned Lands. — 1 believe everyone who has 

 invested money in any enterprise so long as it is not a 

 nuisance, should be allowed to enjoy its use and the 

 emoluments to be derived therefrom. The argument has 

 been raised, and perhaps in some cases justly, that in the 

 interests of public health all forest lands should be owned 

 by the State and forever locked up for the benefit of the 

 pleasure-seeker and wild game. On the other hand, is 

 not he who cuts a forest, converts it into lumber, pulp, 

 paper, or whatever use the product can be put to. serving 

 the public? 



The problem of suggesting a forest policy for the 

 large timberland owner is much simpler and easier and 

 its application less burdensome than doing the same for 

 the small timberland owner. It is the small timberland 

 owner that must be justly dealt with if we would have 

 continuous forests along our rivers and streams and on 

 our mountain slopes, so necessary to obtain a real forest. 



The intermittent planting of today will not produce 

 the deep forest cover necessary for the perpetuation of 

 our forest and the regulation of our rivers. Many owners 

 of timberlands will not reforest today on account of the 

 long time involved for these tree crops to grow. 



Reforesting must depend largely upon Governments 

 and Governments will act only in this direction in the 

 response to the pressure of intelligent people. 



Having this in mind I am going to repeat here the sug- 

 gestions which I have made many times, which have not 

 been refuted, as a basis for a constructive forestry policy. 



I believe a law could be so drawn as to be constitutional 

 that would permit the State to reforest private lands 

 under the following conditions : 



1. An individual or Corporation to make application 

 to the Conservation Department to reforest certain lands. 



2. This growing crop to be exempt from taxation. 



3. The trees when matured to be cut under State 

 supervision and a stumpage paid to the State. 



4. The stumpage to be a lien against the growing crop. 



