254 FORESTRY IN WESTERN AUSTRALIA. 



cutting, the stock of jarrah timber, at any rate, is rapidly being 

 diminished. The local authorities beheve that the big saw mills 

 can be suppHed for not more than 15 years ; that after that 

 smaller mills will go round and pick up the trees which the big 

 mills did not consider sufficiently remunerative to handle, and 

 thus provide the necessary material for a further Hmited period. 

 On the whole, then, the prime timber forests of Western Austraha 

 have been recklessly overcut in a manner involving a terrible 

 loss of material. The necessity of a radical change has, however, 

 been recognised, steps are now being taken to introduce a rational 

 treatment of these once magnificent forests, and above all, to 

 organise an efficient system of fire protection. 



It has not been overlooked that, outside the prime timber 

 forests, there are other areas which can be brought under contri- 

 bution by the opening out of means of transport, and thus give 

 more time for the re-estabUshment of the prime forests. Investi- 

 gations have been started to ascertain the amount of the 

 merchantable material available from these sources. 



The energies of the Department should in the immediate future 

 be devoted to the following matters : — 



(1) The estabUshment (dedication) of Permanent State Forests 



of sufficient area to assure a supply of timber and other 

 forest produce in the future, taking into consideration the 

 probable increase of the population. 



(2) The preparation of working plans for the State forests 



arranged on the basis of working for a permanently 

 sustained yield. 



(3) Efficient protection of the State forests, more particularly 



as regards protection against fire. 



(4) More economic working of the forests, 



(5) Development of research on questions of importance in 



respect of systematic forestry. 



(6) Instruction of the public as regards the importance of 



efficient forest conservancy. 



(7) Above all, the building up of an efficient staff of forest 



ofi&cers to carry out the programme. 



There are not sufficiently accurate data available to give a 

 detailed account of Forest operations in Tasmania. 



