10 BULLETIN 364, U. S. DEPAETMEISTT OF AGEICULTURE. 



gion — Virginia, North Carolina, and Texas. Louisiana has provided 

 by law for a forestry department under the State Conservation Com- 

 mission, but for lack of funds it has never been organized. Alabama 

 endeavored to establish a forestry commisgion, but the law author- 

 izing it was declared unconstitutional on account of an error in the 

 procedure of enactment. 



Thirty States have established forestry departments. Some have 

 placed them under departments already established, namely, the 

 board of agriculture in Colorado and Vermont; agricultual experi- 

 ment station in Connecticut, Kansas, and Ohio; geological survey 

 in North Carolina and Virginia ; agi'icultural and mechanical college 

 in Texas; State school of forestry in North Dakota; State land de- 

 partment in Idaho, Montana, and South Dakota; and forest, fish, 

 and game department in Tennessee and West Virginia. New and 

 separate organizations have been created as forestry boards or com- 

 missions by California, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota, 

 New Hampshire, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Washington. New 

 Jersey, New York, and Wisconsin have consolidated their forestry 

 departments with so-called allied departments into conservation com- 

 missions, and, similarly, Michigan has put the forestry work under 

 a public-domain commission. Maine, Massachusetts, and Rhode 

 Island have given control to a forest commissioner or State forester, 

 who, as in the case of the board or other organization, is directly 

 responsible to the governor or the legislature. 



A^Tiatever the character of the organization may be, the best 

 results will be obtained by keeping it free from politics. If a single 

 officer directs it, his tenure of office should be permanent and he 

 should be removable only for cause. If a new and separate board is 

 organized, it should be nonpartisan and the members should receive 

 no compensation other than necessary traveling expenses. The ex 

 officio membership of the board should comprise officials who are 

 removed from politics as far as possible, such as the president of the 

 State University, director of the State forest school or agricultural 

 experiment station, and the State geologist. Appointees to the board 

 might be chosen, as in some States, upon the recommendation of 

 organizations interested in the advancement of forestry in the State, 

 such as conservation, forestry, agricultural, lumbermen's, or timber 

 owners' associations. 



The State forester should be chosen solely for his fitness for the 

 position and should be a technically trained forester of experience. 

 If he is to work under the direction of a board he should be appointed 

 by the board. 



The forestry department should be authorized especially to or- 

 ganize a forest-fire protective system ; to cooperate with private 

 owners and towns; to acquire lands for State forest purposes; and 



