Report of the Forest Commission. 211 



mittee as will enable us to secure the objects in general for which we 

 are associated, and especially the legislation which is to provide for a 

 rational management of the public timber lands. This secured, the 

 example will be most powerful in influencing States and private wood- 

 land owners to follow. The most pressing need of the association is a 

 permanent secretary, who can be in part at least compensated for his 

 work, and for this purpose we need an increase of membership, which, 

 with increased financial support, brings influence among the people. 



B. E. FERNOW, 



Chairman Executive Committee. 



It is gratifying to note that so many States have established 

 forestry commissions. It is hoped that the time is not far distant 

 when the remaining States, and the general government as well, 

 will each have a department devoted to this work, under the man- 

 agement of competent and enthusiastic officials, supported by 

 liberal appropriations of money. 



We insert here the forestry laws of some of the other States.* 

 As some of them contain important features which might well be 

 incorporated in the forest law of our own State, a careful 

 perusal of these various acts may prove advantageous before 

 attempting any further legislation. 



MAINE. 



Forestry Law of 1891. 



Chapter 100. 



AN ACT to create a forest commission and for the protection of 



forests. 



Section 1 . The state land agent is hereby made forest commissioner 

 of the state of Maine, and in addition to the salary now received by 

 him as land agent, he shall receive as compensation for his services as 

 forest commissioner two hundred dollars per annum, and his actual 

 traveling expenses incurred in the performance of his duties, an account 

 of which shall be audited by the governor and council . 



§ 2. It shall be the duty of the forest commissioner to make a collec- 

 tion and classification of statistics relating to the forests and connected 



* Kansas has a forestry commission also, but no copy of its law is on file in our office. 



