xli FOREWORD 
Spruce and Fir Pulp Wood. 
Photo by Maine Forestry Dept. 
commodities has 
been our chief 
source of devel- 
opment and 
wealth. It is 
proper, there- 
fore, that we 
should seek to 
insure a contin- 
uation of this 
harvest by still 
greater meas- 
ures of protec- 
tion, by econom- 
ical utilization 
of waste and by 
reforesting by 
planting the idle 
‘acres within our 
boundaries. 
Having 
sketched, I fear 
but roughly, the 
need of care- 
fully husband- 
ing our forest 
resources, let us 
now consider 
more particu- 
larly some of 
the measures 
necessary to ac- 
complish this end. While the participants in the discussion of for- 
est policies are far from agreeing on all points, the majority unite 
in accepting as truly essential to any forest policy the three follow- 
ing elements: fire protection, reforesting of waste areas and public 
ownership. 
Fire Protection 
For many years the forestry department of Maine has realized 
the primary importance of fire protection for our timberlands, and 
