36 



by OUT present methods of cutting and wasting our timber. 



It is not the design of the forestry law, to make parks out of 

 woodlands, neither is it the intention to hinder the sale of timber 

 that should be cut and used, but the intention to stop waste and 

 useless extravagance in the methods of destroying the timber 

 that is of but little value at the present, and, will, if let grow, be of 

 untold value in the future, not only to the owner, but of great 

 value to the public in various ways. 



The last session of the Legislature deserves some credit at least, for 

 making a start in the great work to be done in West Virginia — 

 toward this end. An appropriation was included in the amount 

 appropriated by the Legislature for the geological survey, for a 

 State Forester, whose duty it was to make a thorough investiga- 

 tion of all matters pertaining to the forests of West Virginia. 

 Prof. A. B. Brooks was appointed State Forester, and is now pre- 

 paring his report to the coming session of the Legislature, which 

 will be the basis on which to build the future forest policy of our 

 State. 



In addition to this, the office of Forest, Game and Fish Warden 

 was created, abolishing and superseding the old office of Game 

 and Fish Warden. The Forest, Game and Fish Warden was also 

 designated as "Fire Warden" and was given jurisdiction over the 

 forests of the State, and it was made his special duty to attend — 

 by himself or through his deputies, all forest fires, and by sum- 

 moning aid, assist in extinguishing these fires, and while on ac- 

 count of the deputy service not being provided for as it should 

 be, this work has not been entirely satisfactory, yet the work ac- 

 complished, and the great savings made in the timber and forest 

 interests — by the operation of this law, demonstrates at least, 

 what can and will be accomplished under a more perfect system 

 of fire protection. 



Until after the passage of the law referred to, no effort had 

 ever been made, from an organized stand point, to control or ex- 

 tinguish the fires, and in the year 1908, according to data collect- 

 ed by Hon. Hu Maxwell, in charge of this branch of the United 

 States Forestry service, there occiu'red 710 difi:erent forest fires 

 burning over 1,703,850 acres of timbered land, doing damage to 

 the forest products of our State, to the amount of $2,903,850; 

 while in the year 1909, here only occiirred 70 fires, burning over 

 but 94,322 acres, with an aggregate damage of $107,053.10, mak- 



