1900. 



AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION. 



[41 



quency and extent of the fires is the reason 

 why they attract so little attention, and are 

 not more generally recognized as serious. 

 That people are not alive to their full con- 

 sequences is the sole reason why steps are 

 not taken to prevent them within the 

 hour. Indifference and the fires are then 

 one. But it also follows in the same 

 breath that if you reduce either the disap- 

 pearance of the other is sure to begin. 

 There is no way out of a circle until you 

 break out ; but do this and the circle dis- 

 appears. Let the fires burn and a young 

 forest will be valued at little more than 

 the price of an ash heap. Spend one 

 half cent per acre on New Jersey and every 

 land owner in the State wakes up to the 

 fact that he has become richer by a pros- 

 pective normal forest crop. He realizes 

 that forest fires are unnecessary and do 

 great harm. He becomes interested, and 

 may even find himself eager to pay a cent 

 an acre. Practical forestry begins to be 

 possible. 



This is not an idle speculation but what 

 all those who have considered the question 

 of enabling the country's forest lands to 

 yield a sustained revenue realize and agree 

 to. As long as no effective measures to 

 prevent burning are taken, nothing can be 

 done. Foresters say this, reserve rangers 

 say this, and it is justly the burden of the 

 lumberman's excuses and complaints. 



Mr. Boardman's In his communication on 

 Letter. another page Mr. Board- 

 man comes near to stating in a nutshell 

 what is almost the whole forestry problem 

 in Michigan and some of the neighboring 

 states. Mr. Boardman says that on the 

 lumbered and burned-over lands " the tax 

 liens are so heavy, that the State is practi- 

 cally, but not technically, the owner." In 

 other words, the State forces the owners to 

 abandon responsibility for the land, to 

 leave it unprotected from fire and thieves ; 

 but does not in its turn undertake to 

 shoulder the burdens which it has made 

 the private citizen lay down. The young 

 growth, which, if protected from the an- 

 nual fires, would come up of itself, and 

 which land owners would be glad to en- 



courage, is so heavily taxed that merely 

 to retain title to it while it grows up is 

 out of the question. The result, as things 

 are now, is that every year fire ranges 

 over thousands of acres, destroying the 

 trees and the soil, and gradually but 

 surely depriving the region of all the 

 benefits to industry, land and climate 

 which accompany flourishing forest vege- 

 tation. Lumbermen may have cut down 

 the first growth, but that many towns and 

 counties are now only ragged and black- 

 ened wastes is not all their fault. Much 

 of the blame should be laid at the doors 

 of the legislatures and tax-assessors who 

 compel the abandonment of cut-over areas, 

 and then take no proper charge of them 

 themselves. 



For an Appala- The promoters of the 

 chian Park. / 11- -NT s i T> -i 

 Appalachian National Park 



have drawn up a resolution in its favor ad- 

 dressed to Congress which they invite 

 " every person, corporation, association, 

 business firm or other organization inter- 

 ested in these important economic factors 

 in our national and social well being," to 

 endorse : 



" The application of scientific forestry 

 under government control to the rapidly 

 disappearing forest lands of the southern 

 Appalachians. 



" The preservation of the forests and 

 the perpetuation of the natural scenery of 

 these mountains. 



" The protection of the headwaters of 

 the various important streams which find 

 their origin in this section, and of the 

 many minor water courses upon which the 

 fertility of the lower levels depend and 

 which many of our industries require for 

 power. 



"The protection of the game, song- 

 birds and fish of the region. 



" The opening up of this great and im- 

 pressively beautiful region by adequate 

 roads, thus supplying the large centers of 

 trade with a great sanatorium and resort 

 within a few hours' journey. 



The circular also says : 



"It is urged that whosoever may read 

 this circular will take active interest in this 



