FORESTRY AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. 33 



subsequent manufacture of such products. In England and Aus- 

 tralia it is estimated that forests give ten times as much average 

 employment as sheep farms of the same size, without taking into 

 account the population absorbed in attendant industries, which in 

 many cases is said to amount to treble this figure. 



The population supported by stable forest industries will also be 

 of a higher type than the wandering, pioneer character of the lum- 

 ber industry hitherto has made possible. Permanent homes and a 

 normal family life, coupled with increased social and educational op- 

 portunities, will develop the more civilized virtues without destroying 

 the courage, vigor, alertness, and physical prowess that always have 

 been characteristic of the typical woodsman. The strength of the 

 Nation comes primarily from the soil, and the welfare of the entire 

 country is promoted by any industry that affords permanent employ- 

 ment for a large rural population of high type. 



In addition to the stable communities of permanent inhabitants 

 which the practice of forestry will make possible, the transient popu- 

 lation that will be attracted to the region for sport or recreation 

 must not be overlooked. Such visitors not only will gain health and 

 inspiration from their visits but will add materially to the prosperity 

 of the local communities. Hundreds of thousands of dollars are 

 now spent every year by hunters, fishermen, tourists, and others in 

 search of recreation. The scenic attractions of a region are a very 

 substantial asset to the transportation companies, owners of hotels 

 and other summer resorts, guides, and local settlers. They help mate- 

 rially to increase business and to promote the development of the 

 community in general. 



The maintenance of forest lands in a continuously productive con- 

 dition will further benefit the individual and the community by assur- 

 ing a local supply of wood. This will do away with the local short- 

 ages of timber which are now becoming pronounced in many re- 

 gions once well forested and will thus obviate the necessity of paying 

 high freight charges and to a certain extent middlemen's charges 

 on material imported from considerable distances. The establishment 

 of permanent settlements will also stabilize transportation facilities, 

 which in turn will contribute to the development of the entire region. 

 And finally the use of the land for the purpose to which it is best 

 suited, under such public supervision as may be necessary, will to a 

 large extent do away with the speculation and fraud which hitherto 

 have so often accompanied forest destruction. 



In a word, the practice of forestry on forests lands throughout 

 the country would mean the building up of permanent, prosperous, 

 forest communities which would contribute immeasurably to the de- 

 velopment and welfare of the Nation. 



