WEST vmGINIA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. 



361 



1906 — Preparation and publication of a pamphlet entitled 

 ''The Needs of Forest Protection in West Virginia 

 and Suggestions for a Forest Law" by Hu Maxwell. 

 In this pamphlet Mr. Maxwell called attention to the 

 great value of West Virginia forests — for their tim- 

 ber and for their influence on erosion and water flow, 

 to their destruction by fire and by careless lumbering 

 methods, and to the lack of concerted action to pre- 

 vent the great waste. A contrast was drawn between 

 the lack of interest in West Virginia and the intense? 

 interest in such states as California, Pennsylvania 

 and New York, all of which had spent already many 

 thousands of dollars for the purpose of protecting 

 and restoring their forests. The law proposed in 

 this pamphlet was submitted as a bill before the 

 Legislature of 1907 but failed of passage. 



1908 — Appointment by Gov. Wm. M. 0. Dawson of a Con- 

 servation Commission consisting of Hu ^laxwell, 

 Chairman, James H. Stewart, Secretary and Neil 

 Robinson, a third member. 



The appointment of this commission was one oi the 

 direct results of the Conference of Governors of the 

 United States which was called for May 13-15, 1908 

 by President Roosevelt. 



The major part of the report of this Commission, 

 which was prepared and published in the fall of 1908, 

 is devoted to a discussion of the forest resources of 

 the state and to recommendations regarding the pol- 

 icy which should be inaugurated for their protection. 

 Statements made in this valuable and timely publi- 

 cation are freely quoted in other parts of the present 

 report. 



Establishment of a Chair of Forestry as a department of 

 the College of Agriculture of the West Virginia Uni- 

 versity, and the election of A. W. Nolan as Professor 

 of Forestry. 



The courses in forestry have proven to be among the 

 most popular offered in the State University in re- 



