Continuing education programs have been an indirect means 
of aiding private timberland owners by increasing the knowl- 
edge and effectiveness of public foresters, consulting forest- 
ers, and forestry contractors. In recent years, between 800 
and 1,000 foresters have participated annually in such 
training, with forest industry professionals and consulting 
foresters the largest group in attendance. 
A final activity of university and extension faculty—as in 
the case of members of Federal and State forestry organiza- 
tions and many private associations—may be defined as pub- 
lic service. Faculty members, agency administrators, and 
other professionals contribute time and energy to the 
advancement of forestry itself. Many have helped in obtain- 
ing legislation for programs of fire protection and other con- 
servation activities. Large numbers have provided technical 
assistance in developing public policy on forest conserva- 
tion issues. 
Influence of Professional Organizations and Industry 
In the general area of forestry education aimed at the Ameri- 
can public, the activities of a number of organizations have 
been of major importance. As cited elsewhere, the Ameri- 
can Forestry Association has worked through publications, 
conferences, and testimony on legislation to advance under- 
standing of forest conservation problems and needs. The 
Society of American Foresters has provided a flow of in- 
formation on all aspects of forestry through such media as 
the Journal of Forestry, Forest Science, and the Southern 
Journal of Applied Forestry. 
Other journals such as the Forest Farmer, Southern Lumber- 
man, and the publications of State extension services, for- 
estry commissions, and departments and the Forest Service 
have helped carry conservation messages to all parts of the 
South. Cooperative efforts such as the Smokey Bear and 
Woodsy Owl programs have helped educate the public on 
fire protection and pollution control. 
Forest industries likewise have established both association 
and company programs, such as the Keep Green and Tree 
Farm Programs, to publicize the need for forest protection 
and management. Following establishment of the first tree 
farm in Washington State by the Weyerhaeuser Company 
in 1941, the concept quickly spread in popularity through- 
out the South. Growing trees as a crop was not new in the 
1940’s, but certifying landowners who demonstrated good 
forestry provided recognition and a stimulus to better for- 
est management. 
Technical Assistance in Forest Management and 
Utilization 
Gifford Pinchot proposed a Federal program to assist for- 
est owners in the management of timberlands as early as 
i898. Shortly after he took office as chief of the Division 
of Forestry, Circular 21, ‘‘Practical Assistance to Farmers, 
Lumbermen, and Other Owners of Forest Land,’’ was 
issued, beginning the first of many efforts in Federal co- 
operative forestry. 
For many years, the number of foresters offering technical 
assistance to timberland owners and operators was very 
limited. In 1937, the Norris—Doxey Cooperative Farm For- 
estry Act provided some Federal funding and direct techni- 
cal assistance for individual farm woodland owners as well 
as for extension education. During World War II, the For- 
est Service also established a forest utilization service at for- 
est experiment stations to help improve sawmill operations, 
assist in locating timber for special needs, and otherwise 
help in the war effort. 
The Cooperative Forest Management Act of 1950 greatly 
strengthened the technical forestry assistance programs con- 
ducted by State forestry organizations and the Forest Ser- 
vice. The authorization was increased to $20 million per 
year, with Federal funding to be matched by State contribu- 
tions. In addition, the act broadened the program to include 
all private landowners, forest operators, wood processors, 
and public agencies involved in multiple-use management of 
forest lands, utilization of forest products, and urban for- 
estry. Finally in 1978, the Cooperative Forest Assistance Act 
clarified the scope of the various Federal—State cooperative 
forestry efforts and established new authorizations for Fed- 
eral cooperative funding. 
Federal funds available for cooperative forest-management 
assistance in the South increased considerably over the years, 
from about $1 million per year (1982 dollars) in the early 
1950’s to a peak of $5.9 million in 1981 (fig. 2.7 and app. 
table 2.18). Subsequently, Federal contributions fell to only 
$1.4 million in 1985. State contributions to this coopera- 
tive program have exceeded Federal funding by increasing 
amounts. State funds rose from about $1.6 million (1982 
dollars) per year in the early 1950’s to nearly $25 million 
in 1984. 
a) 
