Relation of J J lid Life to the Piihlic 389 



National Forests clearly show just what will certainly happen in 

 our National Parks, from the wilderness point of view, if they 

 are not strictly guarded. These experiences also clearly show that 

 great caution must be exerted, even with the present customary 

 grazing in our National Parks. Without question this should be pro- 

 hibited, and the forage should be reserved for the game in the Parks. 

 Until prohibited, the grazing should be under the close supervision 

 of a range ecologist. The same ideas apply even to living and 

 dead trees, that at any time may be cut in these National Parks. 

 At present we have only one official park forester in the great 

 National Parks, and very few connected with State Parks ; and not 

 all foresters are alert as to the value of virgin forests. European 

 experience (Conwentz, '09, pp. 118, 131) has clearly shown that 

 the clear cutting of forests is very harmful to many kinds of native 

 plants, and this is equally true for many animals, for we know that 

 the vegetation exerts a powerful influence upon most forest animals. 



In some State Parks commercial forest management is practiced, 

 and this is very desirable under certain circumstances if the com- 

 mercial forests and the preserves are well balanced, and if provision 

 is made for corresponding management of the preserved areas. At 

 present, great caution must be observed not to confuse the man- 

 agement of these two types of forest. A proper balance should be 

 secured, and then the commercial forest might well be made a 

 source of supply for the local wood-using industries, and a means 

 of securing revenue for the maintenance of the w^hole park (Adams, 

 '21, p. 64). In time, the park authorities may find it necessary to 

 charge a small fee for their use, and a forest park with funds from 

 the timber and from a fee or license for the use of the preserve, 

 might secure enough revenue to do much more constructive work 

 than one depending solely upon taxation and gifts. This possibility 

 is so important that it deserves more attention than it has received 

 in the past. The new Allegany State Park in New York was planned 

 upon such a program. 



The chances are that National Parks will never be numerous 

 enough and widely enough distributed to give us a sufficiently large 

 sample of our native flora and fauna to meet all scientific needs. 

 This is one reason why State Parks in the East are in a position to do 

 much more, on the whole, than National Parks. But it is not enough, 

 as has been said before, simply to preserve the species. We need, 

 just as imperatively, samples of their normal habitats; and to make 



