FORESTS OF PORTO RICO. 53 



It is now only necessary to have the designation and powers of the 

 board 1 extended to include the subject of forestry. 



The law giving the board charge and direction of forestry work 

 should also provide the technical machinery for carrying it into 

 effect. A provision of first importance is one creating the position 

 of insular forester and defining the qualifications for this office so as 

 to insure the work being developed under a forester not only of 

 liberal technical training but of practical experience as well. It is 

 also essential to make the office strictly nonpolitical. This can best 

 be done by setting a high standard of technical qualifications and 

 making the incumbent subject to removal only upon his failure to 

 measure up to the standard set or because of improper conduct. 

 The position would thus come virtually under the classified civil 

 service, as is the case in the Federal Forest Service. The insular for- 

 ester would have immediate charge, direction, and control of all for- 

 estry matters, subject to the supervision and approval of the board. 



Much requires to be done in a scientific way to learn the distribu- 

 tion, properties, and habits of the various trees suitable for forest 

 planting and management. It would therefore be advisable to pro- 

 vide for the establishment of a forest experiment station. Here, in 

 addition to other work, forest tree nurseries could bo maintained 

 and experimental tree planting done. In connection with such a 

 station an arboretum might be developed where all the different 

 trees of the island could be set out. Such an experimental garden 

 would be of immense educational value. The data and experience 

 of the station staff should be made available to the public through 

 publications and lectures and cooperation with landowners in 

 carrying on forestry work. 



The insular government has at different places scattered over the 

 island tracts of vacant land, much of which is now idle and unproduc- 

 tive, and generally located in out-of-the-way places. Some of it 

 will always be most profitably utilized for growing timber. It would 

 accordingly be extremely desirable to have all of these tracts carefully 

 examined with the view to determining their adaptability to forest 

 or agricultural use. As much as is unquestionably best suited to the 

 growth of a forest cover or is not now available for other uses could 

 very profitably be reserved for demonstration and experiment, 

 permanently or otherwise as circumstances might warrant. Lands 

 so reserved might very properly be constituted Insular Forests, and 

 the power to set them aside by proclamation be reposed in the 

 governor. After their creation they ought to be subject to the 

 exclusive control of the insular forest service, which would have 



1 An amendment would also be desirable providing for a longer term for each, of the five commissioners 

 nominated by the different associations, the terms to be so arranged that not more than two would expire 

 in any one year. This would insure a greater stability and continuity in the controlling policy and pro- 

 vide a long enough term to make it worth while for a member to familiarize himself with the work of the 

 board. 



