394 Proceedings op the 



by lumbermen in larger or smaller holdings, by rail- 

 roads, or by men of various occupations who control 

 the forests upon which the prosperity of this whole 

 country depends. The forests of the private owners 

 will have to be set in order if the overwhelming calam- 

 ity of a timber famine is to be kept from this nation. 



The extension of the present forest area, by restock- 

 ing cut-over lands and by making plantations where 

 there are no forests, is one of the chief duties of the 

 present moment. This will be accomplished by help- 

 ing the States to formulate their own policies, by active 

 cooperation in studying the local situation in each, and 

 by recommending the best procedure under the condi- 

 tions that are found to exist. In particular, the farm- 

 ers in every section of the counrty must be aided, either 

 to develop their woodlots or to plant trees upon the 

 prairies. 



The forests now under government control should 

 remain under government control so far as they are 

 needed for public uses. We must have forest reserves, 

 and we shall have to extend their area later on, not 

 merely by presidential proclamation, but by purchase, 

 both East and West. Forest lands are continually 

 passing out of the government's ownership — lands 

 whose preservation is absolutely essential to the well- 

 being of the country where they lie. It will event- 

 ually cost the government of the United States hun- 

 dreds of millions of dollars to get back again the areas 

 which it once held, which are now in private owner- 

 ship, and which are absolutely essential to the welfare 

 of all of us. 



I hope to see the Bureau of Forestry act as a helper 

 and assistant, not only to the commercial interests, 

 which is its first duty, but to all the interests of every 

 kind that are in any way connected with the forest. 



