FOREST, FISH AND GAME COMMISSIONER. 



55 



counsel for the department, in his report to the Commissioner, and published 

 in the annual report. 



In every report, during the later years at least, attention has been 

 called to the extraordinary importance of our forests. Every day there 

 is additional evidence that all persons appreciate more keenly the necessity 

 of preserving the forest growth on all of the poor land in the State, especially 

 at the source of streams on the steep slopes and mountain tops. The 

 standing timber in the State, of value, is rapidly decreasing. The natural 

 growth is not more than one-fifth of the annual loss. It was entirely 

 proper and natural to clear the rich valley lands and make farms where 

 once the forest stood. That was necessary to progress and prosperity. 

 It was never right and never will be, to cut away all the trees from the thin 

 poor soil on the hillside, leaving it to erode and wash away, exposing the 

 rock and sand, creating a condition that renders such places forever unpro- 

 ductive and worthless. Such parts of private and State holdings should 

 always grow trees. In no other way are they of any value. Not in loss 

 of timber alone are we suffering. Every year the total constant water 

 supply seems to be materially less. This loss of steady flow of water 

 seriously affects the availability of many manufacturing plants lessening 

 their total product and decreasing the number of days of employment of 

 labor and affecting in many places the productiveness of agricultural 

 land. Argument and statement of facts, unless something is done 

 immediately to call a halt in timber destruction, will cease to be a 

 virtue. 



In my report, the facts about our forests, the lessening water supply, 

 the danger just ahead of us in a shortage of wood for commercial purposes, 

 the dire effects following the total denudation of a country were fully set 

 forth. The facts therein presented are not overdrawn. Your attention is 

 most respectfully called to that report, especially the following observations: 



" Coincident with this rapid destruction of natural resources our 

 population in the nation is augmenting so rapidly that, in fifty years, we 

 will number at least 200,000,000 souls. The demand for lumber is increas- 

 ing faster than our population, and the supply is decreasing faster than 

 the increase of population. 



