FIFTH NATIONAI, CONSERVATION CONGRESS 305 



Investors in Oregon timber can feel that their property is well insured, for 

 the past three years have been no fire losses worthy of serious consideration. 

 This is not through chance but the result of well organized patrols. 



Certain details of protection need to be worked out but these are rapidly 

 being set right. 



Oregon also has a forest law which is excelled by none in the United States 

 insofar as it affects forest protection. It is, however, weak in that no provision 

 is made for the purchase of cut-over and burned-over land to be held as State 

 forests. There are some 4,000,000 acres of burned-over lands in Oregon. This 

 land is for the most part rough and unsuited to agricultural use. It could be 

 purchased at a nominal figure and through protection be made to yield a second 

 crop of timber which would result in handsome returns to the State. Much cut- 

 over land of the same character could also be secured. Oregon now has about 

 1/5 of the Nation's timber supply. Its lumber industry is the backbone of the 

 State. It can be made to so continue by seeing that all land not suited to other 

 purposes is kept stocked with forest trees. The National Forests will be a great 

 factor in a future timber supply, but-the States must also do their share to insure 

 the permanency of the lumber industry. Because of taxes and other carrying 

 charges private enterprise cannot be depended upon to provide timber for the 

 future. 



PENNSYLVANIA 



PENNSYLVANIA has an estimated timbered area of seven and one-half 

 million acres, of which 983,529 acres, or about ys, is owned by the State 

 as a forest reserve. 



At present the wild lands of the State have a stand estimated at 4}^ billion 

 board feet of lumber, and 36,000,000 cords of wood. Farm woodlots are esti- 

 mated to contain 3 billion feet of lumber and 38>^ million cords of wood. The 

 total estimated value of timber in the State is $139,000,000.00. 



In 1880, Pennsylvania produced about 10% of all the lumber manufactured 

 in the United States. To secure this output a very large area was cut over 

 annually. This cutting was followed by fire and the wholesale burning brought 

 about a change in stream and climatic conditions, which aroused public sentiment 

 against this rapid destruction of the forests. Taking advantage of this con- 

 dition of public mind a campaign for better forest fire protection was carried 

 on under the leadership of Dr. J. T. Rothrock, the State Board of Agriculture 

 and the Pennsylvania Forestry Association. This resulted, in 1895, in the estab- 

 lishment of a Forestry Commission, and, in 1899, in the appointment of town 

 fire wardens. From this beginning continuous progress has been made and at 

 present Pennsylvania has a good organization with excellent laws for forest pro- 

 tection. 



The timberland owned by the State is located in 26 counties, and is divided 

 into reserves in charge of foresters graduated from the State Forest Academy 

 at Mont Alto. At present 56 foresters and 92 rangers are employed on the 

 reserves. This force of rangers furnish a thorough patrol system on the State 

 forests. In times of emergency about 200 additional men are employed. The 



