THE CRISIS IN THE SOUTHERN FORESTS ' 



By HENRY E. HARDTNER, President of the Louisiana Forestry Association 

 and Chairman of the Louisiana Conservation Commission 



THE conservation of natural resour- the National Government will ere long 



ces is a question of great impor- offer substantial assistance to the states 



tance and is engaging the atten- in the difficult and costly work of re- 



tion of many of the foremost citizens forestation, but the states cannot afford 



of our country who are now endeavor- to wait for assistance ; they must go 



ing to formulate such plans as will be to work at once and handle the ques- 



calculated to prevent the destruction of tion honestly, intelligently, conserva- 



these resources. tively, and successfully. Louisiana should 



The national forest reserves are be- take the lead in this great movement, 



ing handled carefully and systemat- and while protecting her own resources, 



ically according to the most up-to-date point out to others the correct course to 



methods, and can be depended on to pursue in carrying out these plans for 



produce crop after crop for all ages, the general good. 



Not so with the forests of the South, Louisiana has a great extent and 



which are chiefly in the hands of pri- wealth of forest, but it is rapidly and 



vate owners, for they are handled care- surely being depleted. Under present 



lessly, criminally, and with the idea of conditions she may continue for years 



getting every possible penny out of to hold her present position as the sec- 



them regardless of their future useful- ond lumber producing state in the 



ness to mankind. Under existing con- Union, but fire and the ax are reducing 



ditions with no efforts heretofore made her producing capacity steadily, and 



by the states to cooperate, we cannot when the present stand of mature timber 



say that the lumberman is any more is g" one , Louisiana cannot remain in the 



to blame than are state and National front rank, unless effective steps are 



governments. The lumberman does taken to protect and reproduce her 



not wish to convert lands, now rich in forests. 



natural resources which yield handsome The South, with twenty-seven per cent 

 returns to himself and 'the state, into of the total area of the United States, 

 barren wastes, which will not even contains about forty-two per cent of the 

 serve as pasturage. He knows much total forest area of the country, and pro- 

 better than any one else what they are ? uc f forty-eight per cent of all the 

 chiefly valuable for, and only awaits the 1 c umber manufactured in the United 

 opportunity to be of service to the state States. It might be interesting to state 

 and Nation in conserving these re- ? a the lur " % incustl T al ne brings 

 sources mto South over $10,000,000 



r^, " , for every working day in the vear. 



Therefore the preservation of our The forest area by states is as follows : 



forests is the most important question Alabama, 20,000,000 acres ; Arkansas, 



that we have to deal with at this tune, 24,200,000 ; Florida, 20,000,000 ; Geor- 



and we cannot wait years before we at- gi a , 22,300,000; Kentucky, 10,000,- 



tempt to solve the problem. No doubt ooo ; Louisiana, 16,500,000; Maryland, 



'This article is the main body of an address delivered by Mr. Hardtner at the Cm, 



seryatipn Conference of the Southern States held in New Orleans, November i. i goo, by 



invitation of Governor Sanders of Louisiana. Mr. Hardtner is a prominent lumberman us 

 well as an earnest advocate of forestry and conservation. 



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