HOW NEW JERSEY IS TRYING TO 

 IMPROVE HER FORESTS 



By ALFRED GASKILL. State Forester of New Jer 



IX XE\Y JERSEY the campaign 

 forest -.rvation is taking a 



- newhat different lh :hat 



conducted in mo-: states With a pop- 

 ulation that in average density is ex- 

 ied only by that of Rhode Island 

 '. lassach - - si ite has up- 



ward of 2.000.000 acres, or forty-- 

 per cent. - and area still in we 



land. The opportunity for practical, 

 profitable f an intensive char- 



- made evident. Probably 

 nowhere in the United States do the 

 forest areas and lumber markets lie 

 togel In many ways the 

 conditions are comparable with th 

 Wurttem v rg. S . and other 



states r forest; '"ten 



yield a higher net revenue than farm 

 :: ".- 



Like th. : all other states which 



have little : the riginal -t left, 



the woodland- : ~ew Jersey are little 

 valued and their present product is al- 

 mc-~ - ^nificant. Yet this fact is an- 

 other argument for foresl ge- 

 mer e the nece ent in 

 land and immature trees is - - than 

 .:ld be required were the property 

 rated at a value based upon its pro- 

 ducing power. This producing power 

 s relat gh, for on the poor 

 : I pine section, several com- 

 mercially valuable trees ill g t a 

 more rapid rate than is the rule on the 

 average forest soil in the east. T' 

 : urs is due to a favorable climate. 



:h the remnants of a once 

 tensive and valuable for :hat make 

 planting unn- rkets for 



forest produ: :^t hand, with a 



tter adapted for th gr 

 forr than is usu :he forest 



corr : Xe fers faces the 



problem how to make the properties 

 productive, how to turn the people from 

 their old habit of neglect and abuse to 

 a reasonable measure of care for their 

 condition and earning power. The 

 solution of the problem clearly lies in 

 the control of forest fires, for it is a 

 fact that since the state was settled 

 these fires have been allowed to run 

 almost u: 1. and the harm done 



has been considered insignificant, or ac- 

 cepted as inevitable. Knowing that 



si fires are controllable, the forest 

 commission is giving most of its ef- 

 fort, and the greater part of the money 

 appropriated, to the organization of a 

 fire service covering the whole wood- 

 land and intended to protect the for^-: 

 without regard to ownership. The state 

 now owns about 14.000 acres of forest 

 land which it - eloping as examples 

 E foresl :nanagement. yet for the pres- 

 ent this is only an incident in the larger 

 -k. 



In most respects the Xew Jersey law 

 -.n unusually good one. and has three 

 main features : First, the local fire- 

 warde: - . numbering upward of 



200. are all appointed, n " : officio. 

 and are paid small annual salaries to 

 compensate them for their clerical work 

 and for the prevention of fire. In ad- 



n. each is allowed 30 cents an hou- 

 i - time spent in fire fighting, with a 

 minimum of S2 for any call. Helpers 

 are paid 20 cents an hour, with a 

 minimum of Si. The whole organiza- 

 tion is under the control of a state fire- 

 warden, who is responsible to the forest 

 commission, and is paid by the state. 



jnd. every one who wants to burn 

 brush or to make an outdoor fire for 

 any purpose, must get a permit from a 

 firewarden, except the fire be made in 



