Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-12-09
PRESERVING FORESTS
Advocates of Movement in
Session, Here.
REPORT OF DIRECTORS
INDICATES AN ADVANCE UNDER
ASSOCIATION AUSPICES.
Resolutions Adopted Setting Forth In
terest in Forest Reserves-List
of the Delegates.
REPORT OF DIRECTORS

The Secretary of Agriculture, Mr.. James
Wilson, presided at the opening session of
the American Forestry Association, held in
the auditorium of the bureau of forestry,
in the Atlantic building this forenoon. Sec
rotary Wilson's remarks were confined to
welcoming the delegates. At this after
moons session Mr.. Clifford Pinchot, chief
of the bureau of forestry, occupied the
chair.
At the forenoon session the directors
made their customary report to the men,
mers of the association. This report indi-
Gates solid advance in the forestry move
ment in the United States during the past
year, particularly in gaining the support
of the people of the west in the forest re-
serve policy and winning over important
lumbermen and railroads to conviction
that sound numbering and forestry are iden-
teal, and that the railroads must look for
their future supplies to the extension of
forestry.
The three unfinished matters carried over
from the last annual meeting were reported
on These are renewal Of the recommen-
dation of the associa ton that all of the
forestry work of the government should be
consolidated and placed under the bureau
OF forestry, Instead of, as al present. scat
tered between the general land office,
United States geological survey and the bu-
reau of forestry.
The second matter thus considered is the
earnest advocacy of the association of the
proposed Appalachian national forest re-
serve, which has received general support
both in and out of Congress.
The third matter brought over from last
year was the work Of a legislative commit
tee to consider the extension of harmonious
forest legislation in the different states
Taxation Of Forest Lands.
This committee during the year has de-
voted itself to the question of taxation Of
forest lands, and is still gathering Informal
ton from the owners of such lands in diff
ferent parts of the country. 1t is the expec-
tation that the association will frame some
general law for presentation to the legisla-
lures or the different states having in view
some form of tax exemption or tax post
ponement which will induce owners of forest
lands to conservative cutting of them.
The utilization of various state forest or
CARNATIONS with the national association is
recommended and also the co-opera ton Of
the association in an advisatory capacity In
the management of the national forest re-
serves. -ii1 --r8
The membership of the association No
vember 30 was 2,107, but the directors urge
their members to see that this number is in
creased to 10000 ~
The most important meeting of the asso-
citation was that at Minneapolis where
many of the prominent lumbermen of the
In the program. Y phe associa tons official
organ Forestry and Irrigation was in
creased in size during the year and &c. 500
copies were circulated since the list of Janu-
airy.
Bureau Of Forestry.
The work OF the bureau OF forestry comes
in for special. continental ton. showing in
creased interest on the. part, of private
owners of forest lands, -679, 1874 acres of such
lands having been put under the supervision
of the bureau.
/ The lumbermen and railroads have also
freely called upon the bureau for advice in
methods or cutting, wood preservation and
similar kindred objects for the preservation
of our future wood supplies. A similar in.
terdependence between the work Of the
states and the bureau is noted. -. ... .,-,
The passage of the irrigation act has
brought much support to the forestry move
ment In that 1t Is now recognized that with
out the preservation of the forests sur.
rounding the headwaters of streams irriga-
ton can succeed only with difficulty
The general land office. which 10 IN
charge OF the immediate management of
the national forest reserves, reports an
increase of 2,s75,00O acres in its forest re-
serve area Four new reserves were estah-
lished during the year under this Office
and one in Porto Rico. under the supervi-
sion of the Agricultural Department, has
| recently been proclaimed
The Total Area.
The total area now in the national forest
reserves is over 1900. 900 acres. The ad-
ministration Of the general land office on
the reserves has shown a steady and graf
flying improvement, and the appropriations
for this purpose have Increased from
| $4,000 In 1899 to $4,000 In 1904
That these appropriations have been JUS
| titled is shown by the great reduction in
timber destroyed by forest fires within the
forest reserves. The value of this service
far exceeds the sums appropriated. During
the past year about $50 rangers and other
forest officers were employed in the pro-
lection and development of the forest res
ervatiOns. ...-....
Attention is called by the directors to the
misuse of the mineral land law in making
locations within the reservations, and, while
the desire is expressed that bona f1de min
eral developments should not be impeded
the directors feel that some check should
be placed upon mineral entries made for
other than mineral purposes.
Progress in the States.
In the states, too, great advance in for
estry has been made during the year!
Pennsylvania and Indiana have increased
their state reserves, and there has been
important legislation in Minnesota. New
Hampshire, California. Washington, Maine
Wisconsin, as well as other states, in fur