for the 1916 general assembly 
to provide funds, the bill 
included provisions for the 
University of Virginia to fund 
the effort. 
The university made an 
allotment of $5,000, and 
Chapin Jones was employed 
March 1, 1915. His duties 
included teaching a course 
in forestry at the university, 
which he continued to do 
until 1928. The State 
Forester’s office is still located 
on the university campus, 
although there is no longer 
an administrative tie. 
Jones's first major effort was 
a fire-prevention campaign 
using a set of 5 posters, 
20,000 of which were 
distributed the first year. 
Late in the year another 
36,000 posters on 24 subjects 
were distributed. There were 
other information and 
education efforts, including 
lectures and press releases. 
Cooperation under the Weeks 
law was established and 
$2,000 made available for 
patrolmen and watchmen. 
The State initiated 
cooperation with several 
major landowners who 
shared the costs of the 
fire-protection program. In 
1916 the first nursery was 
established, and the first 
seeds were sown in the 
spring of 1917. The State 
organization began a steady 
growth to meet Virginia’s 
needs (Hobart and others 
1982 unpubl.). 
Tennessee 
In Tennessee, early calls for 
legislation to protect forests 
and ensure reforestation 
were made before the turn 
of the century. In 1887, Arbor 
Day was established, and 
the county school 
superintendents were 
directed to carry out plantings 
around buildings, to beautify 
grounds — all with appropriate 
ceremony and the stressing 
of educational aspects. 
The first significant step was 
the formation of the 
Tennessee Forestry 
Association in 1901 ata 
meeting of interested people 
held at the University of the 
South. In 1903, the general 
assembly passed a resolution 
Calling for an investigation of 
forest conditions and 
recommendations for statutes 
for the protection and 
improvement of the forest 
lands. This was followed in 
1907 by passage of a general 
We 
