REPORT OF THE FORESTER FOR 1903. 



WORK OF THE BUREAU OF FORESTRY. 

 ITS OPPORTUNITIES AND ITS NEEDS. 



THE annual report of Mr. Gifford 

 Pinchot, Forester of the Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture, is a brief docu- 

 ment, but one of unusual interest to the 

 public, if one may judge by the reviews 

 and comments which have appeared in 

 the press of all parts of the country. 



Prefacing the body of the report, 

 which is a condensed description of the 

 work accomplished by each of the vari- 

 ous sections during the year previous to 

 July i, 1903, Mr. Pinchot makes these 

 significant statements, showing the rap- 

 idly increasing influence and responsi- 

 bility of the Bureau of Forestry and 

 the need of increased means and expe- 

 rienced men to accomplish its ever-grow- 

 ing tasks, so essential to the future wel- 

 fare of the nation: 



' No previous year has seen such pro- 

 gress in forestry as the last. During 

 this time public sentiment in favor of 

 forestry became more marked, and prac- 

 tical forest work in the woods was bet- 

 ter in quality and greater in amount 

 than ever before. But great though 

 the progress was in comparison with 

 other years, actually it was small-. The 

 saving of the forests by wise use is but 

 little nearer than it was a year ago, ex- 

 cept for the wider spread of a knowl- 

 edge of the nature and objects of for- 

 estry. The means available are yet too 

 feeble to make much impression on the 

 gigantic task of preventing the destruc- 

 tion of the lumber industry, the fourth 

 among the great industries of the United 

 States, and of using conservatively the 

 forests which supply wood and conserve 

 water for the use of the nation. The 

 interests which these supplies serve and 

 maintain are so vital to all our people 

 that it can not be in question whether 

 they shall be preserved, but only how 

 best it can be done. The present pro- 

 visions are wholly insufficient. 



' The very rapid progress of the sen- 

 timent for forest preservation during 

 the last year has been nowhere more 

 conspicuous than in the Western States. 



The greater part of it may be traced 

 directly to the growing desire for de- 

 velopment in irrigation which followed 

 the passage of the national reclamation 

 law. Except where special interests 

 complicate and obscure the issue, the 

 public opinion of the West has become 

 unanimous in favor of forest preserva- 

 tion for the protection of the water sup- 

 ply, and practically so for the perpetu- 

 ation of the supply of timber. 



' ' The necessity for the creation of 

 forest reserves for their influence on the 

 stream flow and timber supply is being 

 better understood and is steadily receiv- 

 ing greater support where once there 

 was opposition to the policy. The peo- 

 ple of the West have not only come to 

 understand that existing forests must 

 be preserved if irrigation is to maintain 

 its continued development, but they are 

 realizing also the importance of reserv- 

 ing lands once covered with forest, but 

 now denuded, and the essential neces- 

 sity that the government should reclothe 

 them with trees. 



' ' Decidedly the most important de- 

 velopment of the year in forestry has 

 been the awakening of the great lum- 

 ber interests to the necessity for practi- 

 cal forestry and the hearty cooperation 

 they have begun to give to the efforts of 

 the government for forest perpetuation. 

 At the convention of the National Lum- 

 ber Manufacturers' Association, held in 

 Washington, more attention was given 

 to forestry than to any other subject. 

 The convention expressed itself in favor 

 of the perpetuation of forests by wise 

 use, and gave evidence of its good will 

 by visiting the Bureau of Forestry in a 

 body. Members of the association have 

 since that time begun active cooperation 

 with the Bureau with the object of for- 

 est preservation, and it may fairly be 

 said that forestry has become a live issue 

 in the minds of the great timber-land 

 holders of the United States. 



; ' Only less important is the recent 

 tendency of the railroads of the United 



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