6 THE FORESTER. January, 



The examination of the forests of the reserves and adjacent regions has, during the 

 past season, been completed in the Mount Rainier Reserve of Washington ; has been 

 continued in the Olympic Reserve, nearly completing that valuable forest region; has 

 been commenced in the Cascade Reserve of Oregon, and the reserves of the Sierra 

 Nevada of California. The work of estimating the supply of standing timber, which 

 was completed for the State of Washington last year, has been continued into Oregon, 

 and most of the stand of that State has been secured. It has been continued in Cali- 

 fornia, with the prospect of completing that State during the coming year. Similai 

 estimates are being made for the States of the Great Lakes, Michigan, Wisconsin, and 

 Minnesota, the work being carried on jointly bv the Department of Agriculture anc 1 

 the Geological Survey. 



General public interest in forestry has increased in a remarkable degree, shown by 

 the attitude of the press and the favorable legislative action which has followed agitation 

 among the states ; New York, with its College of Forestry and management of the 

 college forest, both now well under way, under the direction of Dr. B. E. Fernovv. 

 takes, perhaps, the first rank. This year a further appropriation of $300,000 was 

 made for additional purchases of forest land in the Adirondacks, bringing the whole 

 amount expended for this purpose since the organization of the Forest Preserve Board 

 in 1897 to a total of $1,800,000. Though the purchases are not yet completed, the 

 figures contained in the last report of the board show a total area of lands in the 

 Adirondacks reserved to the State amounting to something over 1,100,000 acres. More 

 significant still, as marking the beginning of a distinct movement on the part of private 

 owners of forest lands, is the work in private forestry, also in the Adirondacks, which 

 has been regarded as satisfactory in the main both by the persons interested and by the 

 Division of Forestry under whose guidance it has been carried on. 



California, as usual, has been most active in all departments of forest agitation, and 

 although comprehensive legislation failed of the governor's approval at the very close 

 of the last session of the legislature, the intent of the plan was carried into operation by 

 the forest organizations themselves. A noteworthy happening has been the offer oi 

 certain Redwood manufacturers to furnish $1,000 in money, as well as to provide sub- 

 sistence in their camps and transportation over their lines for the agents of the Division 

 of Forestry, in order to hasten the time by a year when investigations on the growth 

 and reproduction of the Redwood could be begun. At the University of California a 

 school of forestry may be established in the not distant future. 



Pennsylvania also has made marked progress. Her forest fire law has received s 

 useful amendment. The Commissioner of Forestry has received added authority, con- 

 ferring power to purchase lands for creating forestjreservations whenever there are 

 available funds in the treasury for that purpose. Under the safeguards provided there 

 is no necessity for delay in awaiting special legislation for each new case of purchase. 

 Finally, the Commission authorized some time since to select three tracts of land oi 

 at least 40.000 acres each, is about to take final action, and a recent communication 

 from Dr. Rothrock states that within the next few months probably 200,000 acres ol 

 forest land will be reserved to the State of Pennsylvania. 



Minnesota has been especially energetic, and has been fortunate in having the efforts 

 of her own citizens ably assisted by enthusiastic friends from other States, in the, en- 

 deavor to induce Congress to set apart vast timber lands for a National Park and Forest 

 Reserve. A State Board of Forestry has been appointed, whose members have been 

 chosen on a well-considered plan. The special points of this admirable act are its pro- 

 visions for the acceptance by the Board of lands granted, deeded, or devised to them 

 for the purposes of forest reservations, and for the reinvestment of the moneys to be de- 

 rived as revenue from the proposed management. Assurances have been given that 

 gifts, under these provisions, amounting to thousands of acres, will very soon be made 

 to the Board. An executive committee has been chosen, composed of Captain Cross, 



