INFLUENCE OF TAXATION ON FOREST 



DISTRIBUTION 



By E, M, HOOVER, Boise, Idaho, Delegate from Idaho to the White 

 House Conference, May 13, 14 and 15, 1908 



THE importance of the conservation 

 of the forests of private individ- 

 uals and of holdings outside of the 

 National Forests, is greater than that of 

 the conservative management of the 

 National Forests. The reasons are that 

 the private holdings are more accessible 

 for cutting and are in an altitude below 

 the permanent snow line ; they are, 

 therefore, located where the forest cov- 

 ering delays the melting snow and re- 

 tards the runoff of rainfall. 



The lumberman does not, from any 

 influence of greed, willingly destroy his 



own property or endanger the welfare 

 of the future. He acquires large tracts 

 of timber land in on!er to be assured 

 of a timber supply that will justify the 

 construction of mills, roads and river 

 improvements and the expenses of log- 

 ging, thus taking only a reasonable 

 business precaution. 



The lumberman would prefer to 

 make his timber supply permanent. He 

 is absolutely prohibited from so doing 

 by the present methods of taxation of 

 timbered lands. The taxes are assessed 

 on both the land and the growing tim- 



A Southern Pine Forest, Showing Path of a Destructive Fire after Lumbering 



