STATE FOREST POLICY 477 



But most states cannot stop here, tops of mountains, young timber looks 



In nearly every large state there are as well as older growth, and it is only 



bodies of land not suitable for agri- necessary to keep out fire and protect 



culture which, for many reasons, the the soil by the prevention of too heavy 



state should own and manage as forest cuttings. Thus the management of 



reserves. large state holdings as parks is not op- 



The best use to which land can be posed to their use for the production 

 put is the production of farm crops, of crops of timber. 

 But lands too mountainous or rocky to Where erosion is rapid and its ef- 

 be cultivated will grow valuable crops fects on the flow of streams disastrous, 

 of timber, and if used for this purpose, state ownership of such lands and con- 

 contribute to the resources of the state, trol of cutting is the only means to end 

 Only when every acre of productive the trouble, short of National interven- 

 land is put to its best use, is the highest tion for the same purpose. Laws are 

 prosperity attained. sometimes proposed to prohibit timber 



But aside from producing crops of owners from cutting trees below a cer- 



wood for use, the growing of timber tain size. Such legislation would only 



on mountainous land is desirable for be justified in these mountainous locali- 



two other purposes. The first of these ties, and under conditions where it 



is the preservation of the soil on steep could be clearly shown that destruction 



slopes by preventing erosion, and the of property belonging to others would 



consequent regulation in the flow of be caused by the removal of such tim- 



streams and reduction of danger from ber. And such a method of attempted 



floods. This is one of the most strik- regulation of private property is far 



ing and most easily demonstrated ef- more drastic and difficult to enforce 



fects of forests, and in certain moun- than a policy of acquiring such lands 



tain regions is the chief argument for for the state. Public ownership makes 



forest preservation. possible any form of management best 



The second motive for devoting suited to the general good, 



mountain lands to timber growth is to So great has been the pressure for 



furnish parks and pleasure grounds for state ownership of such mountainous 



the public. This last incentive is the areas that in the states of New York 



simplest and most widely understood and Pennsylvania a total of consider- 



of the three, and will meet with the ably over 2,000,000 acres has been ac- 



most ready support. But it has often quired, largely by purchase, for forest 



been unduly emphasized. A state reserves. 



forest policy which is unable to bar- But some states have a much more 

 monize these three essential objects of difficult problem to decide. There are 

 forest reserves, namely, timber pro- many areas of level land which can 

 duction and use, protection of soil and easily be cultivated but have not been 

 water, and public parks, will remain a successfully farmed. The commonest 

 continual source of dissension in the type is a coarse, deep sand with no sub- 

 state and is economically false. Timber soil found in many pine regions. Much 

 should not be cut indiscriminately of this sandy land in older states has 

 where the other two objects must be been taken up and abandoned several 

 secured. But it is an inexcusable waste times. It is in dealing with soils of 

 to prohibit cutting of timber upon large this character that our state policy 

 areas of forest land that they may be needs strengthening. Conditions in 

 used exclusively as parks. The great America are still unsettled, and the 

 majority of persons visiting such forests pressure for land is very strong. The 

 will travel along certain definite routes, doctrine that lands too poor for agri- 

 either streams, trails or roads. The old culture should be used for the pro- 

 timber can be left intact in all such duction of wood crops is not yet ac- 

 places. For landscape effects from the cepted, for no land which can be plowed 



