Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1903-07-16
CALIFORNIA FORESTRY
Timber Matters to Be Closely
Studied in Sister State.

With the intention of fixing upon a
proper forest policy, California has
undertaken this year, with the help of
the Bureau of Forestry, a comprehen-
sive and detailed study of its forests.
The State legislature recently appro-
pristed Sl5, 900 for the study, the con-
dition being that it should be carried
out by the Bureau of Forestry, and
that the Bureau should bear half the
expense.
The State desires to know those
facts about its forests that will guide
it in passing wise forest laws, 1t
desires to know. for instance, what
disposal should be made of the state
forest lands, what should be done to
regulate the cutting of timber ON
them, how forest fires may best be
restrained, whether tree-planting in
denuded areas will pay, etc.
The task of securing all the infor-
nation necessary 70 a forest policy for
California the bureau of Forestry
has begun this summer. The work is
of such magnitude that several years
will be required to complete 1t, but
valuable and suggestive results will
be secured each year.
The work has been begun ON a large
scale. Six men are now examining
public lands in the State to determine
what parts Of them are suitable for
national forest reserves, and similar
studies will be made Of lands for state
reserves. A study will be made of all
lands owned by the state in order to
determine the uses to which they may
best be put, who should administer
them, and what sort of administration
they should have. A forest map of
California will be made, showing the
location of all forest areas and dis
tinguishing between the different
kinds of forest. In connection with
the forest map will be study of i'm
portant trees in order to learn with
exactness the commercial range of the
valuable species, An investigation
will be made Of the effects of lumber
ing on the forest in order to determine
what ought to be done to cut-over
lands, 1t is Of great Importance to
know what happens to the land in
different parts of the timbered re-
gions after it is cut over by the lum-
berman-whether it comes up again
in timber or whether it becomes waste
land.
The effects of fire on the forest, es.
pecially after numbering, and what
may be done by the state to prevent
fire are subjects that will take long
time to work out In September, Il.
A. Sterling, of the Bureau, will try
to determine what Is the cheapest and
most effective method Of protecting
from fire land that has been lum.
bered.
The Bureau will also make study
of the chapparral lands Of Southern
California in order to learn whether
it will pay to plant them with timber
trees. A very interesting question haI
been raised as to whether chapparra
which includes great variety o.
scrub trees trees, such as manzanita
scrub oak, valley mahogany, ant
scrub oherry-will retain the moisture
in the soil as we'll as timber trees
Chapparral grows denser than timbei
trees, and often reaches height o
20 to 20 feet and diameter Of 10 Il
lS inches. l.. @. Miller, who ha
charge Of this work, Is now making
a study of the conditions under whicl
chaparral grows in the San Gabrie
Mountains. near Pasadena, where th,
Bureau has been planting pines ant
cedars for several years,
The results of these separate inyes
LEGATIONS Viii be- gathered together BY
william @. Hodge. Of the Bureau
who has genreal charge Of the Cali
fornia work. and will be presented :,
the State in "A formal report, accom-
panied by maps,
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