At first the timber was an incumbrance, valueless because 

 of its abundance, and blocking development. Fires were started 

 to aid in clearing the land, and even when they swept far away 

 and laid waste the mountain slopes, the destruction which was 

 wrought was lightly regarded. With advance in economic 

 development and the knitting together of the country through 

 a network of railroads came a period in which exploitation of 

 the virgin forest became vigorous, extensive, and of a pro- 

 gressively devastating character. Then a few far-sighted per- 

 sons, at first regarded as impractical visionaries, began to 

 urge the need for conservation of the forest resource for the 

 sake of future timber supplies, for its influence upon water 

 supplies, and for its value to the public in connection with 

 recreation and scenic protection. 



Gradually public sentiment groped to a realization of the 

 fact that private ownership of mountainous forest lands is in- 

 compatible with the best public interest. With hesitancy and 

 in the face of many misgivings as to the possibility of efficient 

 management of public property through public officials, re- 

 quiring, if it is to be successful, a high degree of intelligence, 

 probity, and stability of policy, public ownership was under- 

 taken. What the full measure of its results will be it is as yet 

 too soon to say. That depends on the ability of the American 

 people to maintain permanently, as a Government activity, 

 administration of a public resource, of increasing money value, 

 without allowing it to be infected by politics or placed in the 

 hands of men lacking in competence and foresight. Neverthe- 

 less, it is scarcely possible that national ownership and man- 

 agement of forests like those in the White Mountains can ever 

 fail to do better for the protection of the public welfare than 

 private ownership and management, without public regulation. 

 The strength of the situation lies in the fact that there now 

 exists, and is certain to continue, an alert and powerful public 

 sentiment which will not tolerate the handling of the resource 

 in ways that are seen to threaten the impairment of its 

 value and its beauty. 



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