Bulletin 143 



State Forests in Massachusetts 



150,000 Acres Needed to 

 Complete Program 



Twelve years ago the Massachusetts Forestry Association presented to 

 the General Court the first bill for State Forests. The appropriation granted 

 was $90,000 to be spent in the purchase of land for five years. The State 

 Forest Commission acquired with that money and by gifts 13,397 acres. 

 Since 1920 these forests have been enlarged to 19,762 acres, much of which 

 has been planted and the total cost for land, planting, fire lines, roads, other 

 improvements and maintenance is $284,000 and the income during this time 

 has been $25,000 in round numbers. The bulk of these lands were idle desolate 

 areas which are now growing a crop of timber. 



The Mount Grace State Forest of 1,066 acres was acquired under 

 special legislation. The total cost of land, planting, other improvements and 

 maintenance has been $56,000 and the receipts have been $1,520. 



New State Forest Act of 1920 



Through the use of the Initiative for the first time in the history of the 

 Commonwealth, in 1920 the Association petitioned the General Court to buy 

 and reforest 250,000 acres in ten years. Over 31,000 signatures of registered 

 voters from all but 11 of the 355 cities and towns in the commonwealth were 

 attached to the petition. On condition that the Referendum would not be 

 exercised, the General Court authorized an appropriation of $3,000,000 to 

 purchase and develop 100,000 acres in 15 years. Under that act 82,397 acres 

 have been acquired and options have been taken on sufficient areas to 

 complete the 100,000 acres. The cost of the land has averaged $4.61 per acre. 



Appraisal by U. S. Forest Service 



The Association naturally felt a responsibility to the public in connection 

 with this work and while it had followed closely the purchase and develop- 

 ment of the State Forests by the Department of Conservation, and was 

 satisfied that the Commonwealth had received fair value for its money, it 

 believed that public confidence would be sustained and strengthened if a 

 competent and unbiased authority were to make an appraisal of the lands 

 acquired. Consequently, with the concurrence of the Department of Con- 

 servation, the United States Forest Service was requested by the Association 

 to examine and appraise these lands. The men assigned to this work had 



MASSACHUSETTS FORESTRY ASSOCIATION 

 4 Joy Street, Boston. 



