A COMPREHENSIVE FOREST LAW 



Drawn for State of California by the Bureau of Forestry ; 

 Contains Principles that Can be Applied in Other States. 



The Bureau of Forestry has been 

 cooperating with the State of Cali- 

 fornia for two years past in order to 

 determine on a sound state forest pol- 

 icy. The result of this work is now 

 condensed into a forest bill to be con- 

 sidered by the California Legislature 

 at its next session. This bill contains 

 an outline of principles which the 

 Bureau feels might properly form the 

 basis for a general forest law for other 

 states, modified, of course, to meet pe- 

 culiar local conditions. It is based 

 not only on the study in California, 

 but also in the Bureau's experience in 

 its work to date, throughout the coun- 

 try. 



Owing to the wide interest in forest 

 matters, especially in working for 

 proper forest legislation, and the dif- 

 ficulties in securing it, it is felt that 

 the publication of this proposed Cali- 

 fornia forest law will be of value to 

 readers of FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION. 

 For that reason it is given in full 

 elsewhere. 



An act to provide for the protection 

 and management of forest land within 

 the State of California. 



Sec. i. State Board of Forestry. 

 There shall be a State Board of For- 

 estry, consisting of the Governor, Sec- 

 retary of State, Attorney General, Sec- 

 retary of Agriculture, and State For- 

 ester, which shall supervise all mat- 

 ters of State Forest policy and man- 

 agement and convene upon call of the 

 Governor or of its Secretary. 



Sec. 2. State Forester and His Du- 

 ties. There shall be a State Forester, 

 who shall be a technically trained 

 forester, appointed by the Governor; 

 and whether any candidate for this 

 position is a technically trained for- 

 ester shall be determined by certifi- 

 cate from the Forester of the United 



States Department of Agriculture. He 

 shall receive a salary of $2,500 per 

 year, or as much additional as shall, 

 from time to time be allowed by the 

 legislature for good and continued 

 service ; be supplied with necessary of- 

 fice room, equipment, clerical and field 

 assistants ; be reimbursed for all trav- 

 eling and field expenses incurred in 

 the conduct of his official business ; act 

 as Secretary of the State Board of 

 Forestry ; and be removed from office 

 only for cause shown. He shall, un- 

 der the supervision of the State Board 

 of Forestry, execute all matters per- 

 taining to forestry within the jurisdic- 

 tion of the State ; direct the manage- 

 ment of State parks and forests ; col- 

 lect data relative to forest fires ; pre- 

 vent and extinguish forest, brush and 

 grass fires ; enforce all laws pertaining 

 to forest or brush covered land, and 

 commence prosecutions for violation 

 of such laws ; cooperate with land 

 owners as described in section 4 of 

 this act ; supervise such courses in for- 

 estry at educational institutions as may 

 hereafter be provided for by law ; and 

 publish from time to time such in- 

 formation on forestry as he may deem 

 wise. He shall prepare annually a re- 

 port to the Governor on the progress 

 and condition of State forest work and 

 recommend therein plans for improv- 

 ing the State system of forest protec- 

 tion, management, and taxation. 



Sec. 3. Supcrvison and Care of 

 State Parks. The Yosemite Valley 

 State Park, the Big Basin Redwood 

 Park, the Mount Hamilton Tract, the 

 Santa Monica Forest Station, and the 

 Chico Forest Station, together with 

 all money heretofore or hereafter ap- 

 propriated for the purchase of land 

 for or care of said parks, tracts and 

 stations, shall be in charge of the State 

 Board of Forestry, and said Board 

 shall forthwith have all the powers and 



