has a forestry organization 
and an Extension staff, the 
Authority has focused its 
program on cooperation with 
the Federal and State 
agencies that have 
responsibilities for programs 
within the valley. The 
transformation of the forests 
of the Tennessee River Valley 
into highly productive stands 
is evidence of the success of 
the forestry effort (Seigworth 
1968). 
Norris-Doxey 
Since the issuance of Circular 
21 in 1898, the USDA Forest 
Service had sought broader 
authority to provide 
assistance to private 
landowners in the protection 
and management of their 
woodlands. The appointment 
of William R. Mattoon as 
Extension Forester in 1912 
reaffirmed this. The concept 
of providing technical 
assistance to landowners 
had achieved broad support 
at the time of the passage of 
the Clarke-McNary Act and 
was covered in section 5, 
which authorized cooperation 
with the States in advising 
and assisting farmers in 
establishing, improving, and 
renewing woodlots, 
46 
shelterbelts, and other 
valuable forest growth. 
However, the funds 
appropriated were only 
$50,000 the first year and 
$60,000 for the next several 
years —far below the 
estimated needs. Several 
suggestions were made for 
broadening the authority to 
cover all private lands, not 
just farms, and to increase 
the level of activity 
(Zimmerman 1976). 
The Cooperative Farm 
Forestry Act of 1937, known 
as the Norris-Doxey Act, 
broadened the scope of 
Clarke-McNary, particularly 
the section that dealt with 
nurseries and reforestation. 
It was concerned with 
developing the farm 
woodland as a productive 
unit of the farm and called 
for demonstration projects, 
education, and increased 
nursery production. 
Norris-Doxey created 
controversy because it 
assigned forestry education 
to the Extension Service; the 
Secretary of Agriculture 
assigned direct assistance in 
management, harvesting, 
and marketing to the Soil 
Conservation Service as part 
of its farm planning program. 
