FORESTRY COMMISSION. 19 



One of the most important subjects to be treated under this title is the 

 question of local taxation, and the commission is decidedly of the opinion 

 that the State can afford to become responsible for its proportion of the 

 taxes for carrying on local matters, and thus fairly meet the most im- 

 portant ground for opposition to the plans of a permanent forest reserve. 



In considering carefully the auxiliary interests involved in this far- 

 reaching plan of reforestation, the commission finds that legislation has 

 already been initiated, looking toward the protection from fire of all that 

 territory in the State which is in danger of devastation from this danger- 

 ous element. The Forestry Commission is impressed with the importance 

 of having the machinery for carrying out this fire statute placed in the 

 hands of the same authority which has in charge all matters of forest 

 improvement, and hence suggests that amendments be made to the fire 

 law which shall accord Avith this idea. 



As an incident to the investigation made in connection with the rela- 

 tionship of a reasonable plan of reforestation to our system of agricul- 

 ture, the commission finds the blowing sands in certain places a most 

 serious menace to the practice of farming, and large areas of valuable 

 . land are in danger of being rendered useless by being covered with the 

 sand which has been picked up by the wind from lands which have been 

 'divested of the surface soil. It is perfectly possible to enter upon a plan 

 of protection by using methods of reforestation which shall not only bring 

 ^■aJues to the sand wastes upon which the wind makes great inroads, but 

 in doing this protect from further injury arable lands in the vicinity, 

 which are being rapidly submerged by this worthless sand covering. We 

 shall present in our public iransactions graphic illustrations, exhibiting 

 the destruction brought about by these blowing sands, and explain more 

 fuilv the remedial measures which the Forestry Commission has in, mina 

 for the State to adopt. 



There is a strong movement in our State looking toward the adoption 

 of some plan which shall stimulate the farmers in the more purely agri- 

 cultural regions to maintain a portion of their farm holdings in perma- 

 nent wood lots. In deference to the views of men of large observation 

 and excellent judgment, the commission will suggest a form of legislation 

 which has been adopted successfully by other commonwealths and which 

 shall have for its purpose the general increase of the proportion of wood- 

 land in the sections of the State most denuded of forest cover. A modifi- 

 cation of our plan of taxation which appeals very strongly to the com- 

 mission is a provision which shall require the assessing officer to place a 

 uniform value of Sfo.OO per acre on lands permanently in timber as an 

 accompaniment of the farm, and which are recorded with the State For- 

 estry Commission as farm wood lot reserves, the management of which 

 shall be directed by the said commission in the general interests of the 

 State, the purpose being to awaken an interest in growing timber for a 

 crop. 



One of the most important things brought to the attention of the com- 

 mission in connection with the prosecution of its purposes has been the 

 wholesale vandalism practiced in connection with fringes of forest growth, 

 which in many places in. our State form an embroidei"'y to its highways, 

 and the uiembers are impressed with the importance of taking radical 

 measures to save men who are so short-sighted as to carelessly destroy 

 li-oe values from their o;5\'n thoughtless habits of vandalism. Having this 



