93 RgPORT OF THE FORESTRY COMMITTEE 



Protection of Forests. 



The first thought of a forester is for the protection of existing forests, 

 and under the heading of protection we can properly group the measures which 

 may be taken to insure against direct loss the mature forests and such timber 

 resources as are being provided through natural conditions. 



Protection from fire is of chief importance, and second comes protection from 

 attacks of insects and fungi. There are other phases of forestry work, protective 

 in a certain sense, but logically, and for the sake of convenience, they can be 

 grouped under the head of maintenance of timber supply. The first basic principle 

 of a forest law is forest protection. 



Maintenance of Timber Supply. 



The second principle is to establish a timber supply on a permanent basis. 

 To accomplish this purpose, work must naturally begin with a classification of the 

 land, determining as closely as possible what lands are agricultural in character 

 and what lands are non-agricultural and should therefore be devoted to the grow- 

 ing of timber. This classification should be carried out by the State irrespective 

 of the ownership of the land classified. Theoretically, this work should precede 

 attempts at reforestation, afforestation, application of silvicultural methods of 

 cutting, attempts to equalize the tax on timber and timberlands, or State owner- 

 ship of lands used for forestry purposes. However, in practice it has been found 

 expedient to develop forestry work along such of these lines as the public under- 

 stands and is ready to accept. Nevertheless, non-agricultural lands must be 

 determined, and the classification agreed to by the people, before one can consider 

 forestry as established on a permanent footing in the State. 



Reforestation should be carried on by the State not only on its own lands 

 devoted to forestry purposes, but also in cooperation with private owners. The 

 part which the State should play in its cooperation should be commensurate 

 with the interest which the State has in maintaining the timber supply. The 

 same may also be said of afforestation, but in the majority of cases this work will 

 be State cooperation in woodlot and windbreak planting. 



The application of silvicultural methods to logging operations is one of the 

 chief factors in establishing and maintaining the greatest timber supply. The 

 proper method of brush disposal approaches in a degree to a silvicultural method, 

 although such disposal may be considered chiefly as a fire protective measure. 

 This has been practically accepted as a regular part of logging throughout the 

 northern half of the United States ; and it is but a small step in advance on the 

 part of the State to require the leaving of a certain number of sturdy, thrifty 

 seed trees on every acre of non-agricultural land logged, or, where this method 

 is not practicable, the State might require the timber to be removed in a series 

 of two or three cuttings, so as to insure the renewal of a forest on lands which 

 can be used only for tree growth. Or, for some States, the best cutting method 

 might be to require the logger to replace the trees cut, by planting an equal or 

 larger number of desirable species. The State's interest \r\ the forest is para- 

 mount to the interest of all others, and if it is to properly guard the public 

 welfare some such means of perpetuating the timber supply must be used. 



