28 THE COMMISSION OF INQUIRY, 



young forest growth should have no protection, it is proposed to give to 

 residents in the township or locality limited holdings of the forfeited tax 

 land, to be held as private timber reserves. These should be entered under a 

 contract with the State, containing reasonable terms calculated to pre- 

 serve and protect young forest growth and forest cover, and forbidding 

 the cutting of trees within a period of time (not less than fifteen years) 

 sufiScient to give them a chance to scatter the seed necessary for re- 

 forestation. Careful provisions for the protection of all the interests of 

 the State will be necessary; and in case of destruction of the reserve 

 by fire, it will be necessary to provide for a determinfition of the rights 

 of all parties in such way as will be equitable under all conditions. Tn 

 addition to such power as the law may specify, very large discretionary 

 powers should be left to the Commission in charge of forestry matters 

 to require further terms for its protection. The powers and discretion 

 vested in this Commission should, like those conferred by contract on 

 architects or engineers, be adequate and sufficient to work out the equi- 

 ties of each individual case which is not expressly provided for within 

 the letter or spirit of the statute. For a liberal term of year^, these 

 private timber reserves should bear no taxes beyond a moderate annual 

 acreage fee to be applied in part for fire protection and in part f6r 

 roads and local township purposes in the same manner as elsewhere 

 recommended for the payment and distribution of an annual acreage 

 fee by the State upon the State forest reserves. Title should, at the end 

 of say 25 years, be given without payment of any purchase price, if 

 meanwhile the terms of the contract have been fully complied with. 



The chief purpose of this suggestion for small, private timber reserves 

 is to secure throughout the region of cut-over lands as many resident 

 owners of growing timber as possible. Every holder of a little timber 

 reserve would be a help against forest fires, and an aid toward a change 

 of that mental attitude of disregard for young forest growth which is 

 the most difficult feature of the fire problem. If substantial advance be 

 made toward the obliteration of that widespread and pernicious notion 

 by the plan suggested, the State will have given away wisely whatever 

 land may be taken up as private timber reserves. 



INDIVIDUAL EFFORT IN EEPOEBSTATION VENTURES MUST SUPPLEMENT FORESTRY 

 BY THE STATE IF ADEQUATE FOREST AREAS ARE) TO BE SECURED. 



As we have pointed out, the State has not sufficient land to establish 

 State reserves of the requisite area to furnish the people of this State 

 with necessary timber and forest products, nor to secure the incidental 

 benefits that adequate forest areas will bring to the public welfare. 

 Material results as respects streams and stream flow can not be ex- 

 pected except for such an area of forest land as has a reasonable ratio 

 to the area of the drainage basins of the streams to be affected. To 

 provide adequately for the future, therefore, imperatively requires more 

 than the taking over and protecting 'of such forfeited tax land as can 

 be used for State forest reserves. The purchase of waste and cut-over 

 land and its reforestation might be resorted to by Michigan following 

 the example of New York, Pennsylvania and other states and countries ; 

 but we believe that an alternative course, at present more acceptable, is 

 still open to the State. 



