■m ■ 



'in the more recent work there is cbrjparatively little to criticize, 

 ■■•?ilthF<yiigh in is.nla"tcd spots operations still leave an adveroe effect on 

 wildlife. Such effects are more frequently noticed on Statp-Ovrtied forests 

 than on National forests, due to the fact that State forests are smaller 

 and_ more intensive work is necessary in order to keep the men employed in 

 a season when there is often little choice of activity. 



The entire philosophy of timber stand improvement, with its empha- 

 sis on the removal of 'Veed trees", may be, and by some conservationists 

 is, considered as inimical to Tjildlife. If it ^^ere possible to put it 

 into full operation,, our forests might eventually be devsid of all fruit 

 and nut-bearing trees and shrubs, and would consist solely of the two or 

 three species which in the judgment of present administrative officers 

 will have the highest timber value in the coming years. 



There is some theoretical but little actual chance ^f this occur- 

 ring, as such a program does not seem economically feasible under present 

 practices of timber utilization, although there are spots in which it may 

 approach maximum realization. Therefore the present danger to wildlife 

 values is very much less than is feared by many individuals who are sin- 

 cerely interested in wildlife. 



In recent m.onths areas have been seen where all beech has been 

 girdled and felled to release other more "valuable trees" which, in one 

 area, were nonexistent. On one tract all black cherry had been similarly 

 treated, due to a misunderstanding on the part of the foreman, while on 

 other sites dogwood, hickory, hawthorn, viburnum, wild crab, wild grape, 

 and other valuable wildlife food plants ha.ve been destroyed. 



Gn a few areas forest clean-up and timber stand improvement com- 

 bined have resulted in complete destruction of both food and cover for 

 wildlife. Such areas are small, and serve chiefly to demonstrate the 

 necessity of careful definition of what is to be done before starting, 

 the work. 



There is still another important factor. The forest land manage- 

 ment agency should have either satisfactory working relationships with 

 State game authorities or a direct voice in the handling of game species. 

 If this is not provided for, it will not be possible to correlate wild- 

 life popula-tions Y;ith the carrying capacity of the land. It is already 

 an acute problem in a number of widely scattered places, many of which 

 are in the yellow pine forests of the Tlest. Here a combination of good 

 protection, adequate summer food and cover, and excessive utilization of 

 winter ranges by game and livestock combined has created many serious 

 sitToations. Even in this type of open forest, where the mature stands 

 still carry a qoaritity of food plants, recognition of the transitory 

 natiore of good game land and development of utilization plans to provide 

 a succession of cut-over lands in reasonably close proximity will even- 

 t^oally help, though not where snowfalls are so heavy as to drive deer 

 and elk, the species most usually involved, entirely out of the forests 

 during the winter months. 



Neither will such a program help in present emergencies, where a 

 drastic reduction in either game or livestock or both is often the only 

 practical solution to the problem. 



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