undertaken by the southern 

 national forests. 



The Civilian Conservation 

 Corps program was 

 destined to exist a brief 9 

 years, from 1 933 to 1 942. 

 Although it brought 

 unprecedented money and 

 labor to the region, the 

 timber resource apparently 

 was not getting the attention 

 that the Regional Forester 

 fett it should. In his letter 

 (USDA Forest Service 

 1938a, unpubl.) to forest 

 supervisors dated March 

 21, 1938, Joseph Kircher 

 wrote: 



During recent years, I 

 have found it necessary 

 to nag many of you 

 into making sales and 

 giving high priority to 

 timber management 

 work. I now desire that 

 you have either an 

 approved management 

 plan or a policy 

 statement for every 

 individual unit 

 completed and in shape 

 for approval by me by 

 July 1, 1938. 



Many working circles 

 already had timber 

 management plans or policy 

 statements, but most of 

 them predated the rapid 

 expansion of the national 

 forests in the early 1 930's. 

 Most units responded 

 admirably to the 3-month 

 deadline, but not quite 2 



years later-on February 1 , 

 1 940--the Regional Forester 

 sent another ultimatum to 

 13 working circles still 

 delinquent. By June 30, 

 approved plans were in 

 effect on 90 percent of the 

 national forests in the region 

 (U.S. Congress, Senate 

 1940). 



As Civilian Conservation 

 Corps operating funds 

 began to taper off in the 

 late 1 930's, the Regional 

 Forester reiterated his 

 concern for timber 

 management work. In 1939 

 he wrote the Forest 

 Supervisors (USDA Forest 

 Service 1939, unpubl.): 



Now that most of the 

 essential fire and 

 administrative 

 improvements have 

 been completed, 

 increased attention 

 may be given to forest 

 culture and the 

 improvement of the 

 productivity of timber 

 stands. There are three 

 phases of this work; 

 namely, (1) timber stand 

 improvement through 

 release cuttings, (2) 

 timber quality 

 improvement through 

 pruning, and (3) erosion 

 control. 



Whether it was the Regional 

 Forester's prodding or the 

 unprecedented opportunity 



28 



