FORESTRY NOTES 



Recent Developments Affecting California's Forests 

 By Walter Mulford 



Good cheer! Such is the message 1920 leaves for the friends of California's 

 forests. It is probable that the year has marked a decided upward turning-point 

 in the progress of forestry in the country of the sugar-pine and the redwood. 



Of first importance is the development of a strong national movement to 

 bring about the practice of forestry on privately owned timberlands. The issue 

 is so fundamental to the American forest, and is so likely to lead to a vigorous 

 contest in Congress in the near future, that a special article is included in this 

 number of the Bulletin explaining the situation in some detail. 



The outstanding local development has been the formation and effective 

 work of a group of men officially representing most of the leading forest inter- 

 ests of the state, who have worked together for forestry instead of each going 

 his way in his own comer of the big general forest problem. This California 

 Forestry Committee consists of Donald Bruce, associate professor of forestry 

 in the University of California, chairman; R. E. Danaher, representing the 

 California White and Sugar Pine Manufacturers' Association; G. M. Homans, 

 State Forester; D. A. McAllaster, Land Commissioner of the Southern Pacific 

 Railroad; P. G. Redington, District Forester of the United States Forest Ser- 

 vice. A representative of the redwood lumbermen is to be added. The commit- 

 tee has employed Mr. W. C. Hodge, a technically trained forester. Organized 

 in the spring of 1920, the committee has already made substantial progress. It 

 deserves the" loyal support of all Californians who believe in trying to settle 

 conflicting interests by working together. 



A new State Board of Forestry was created by act of the legislature in 1 9 19, 

 to consist of the State Forester and four persons to be appointed by the Gov- 

 ernor, one of whom must be familiar with the timber industry, one with live- 

 stock, one with the grain and hay industry, and one at large. The board con- 

 sists of Dr. George C. Pardee, Oakland, chairman; R. E. Danaher, Camino; 

 Col. Ed. Fletcher, San Diego; G. M. Homans, Sacramento; Solon H. Williams, 

 Yreka. This replaces the former ex-officio board, which consisted of the 

 Governor, the Secretary of State, the Attorney-General, and the State Forester. 

 The new board has recently announced its adoption of the following platform 

 as being of first importance in the development of the state's forest policy: 

 (l) Appropriation by the state legislature of sufficient funds for the preven- 

 tion and suppression of forest, grain, and pasture fires outside the national 

 forests; (2) Acquirement of logged-off areas, in both the redwood and pine 

 regions, as a nucleus for a series of state forests ; ( 3 ) Acquirement of water- 

 sheds necessary for the conservation of water for domestic and irrigation pur- 

 poses; (4) Renewal of forests on logged-off areas and watersheds that are in 

 need of reforestation. 



