The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1905-07-20

The New Name Of the Bureau Of
Forestry.

From July the Bureau of Forestry
is to be officially known as the Forest
Service. The change was made by
Congress last winter, when It provided
for the Government work in forestry
during the coming year ,and signalized
an important advance in the scope Of
that work. The actual control and
administration of the national forest
reserves, formerly under the charge
of the Land Onice Of the Department
of the Interior, is now in the hands Of
the Forest Service, the only branch
of the public service possessed of the
scientific and technical knowledge
necessary for the enlightened care
aud use of the forests. This means
that the reserves are to be made 10
yield to the people of the country the
largest benefits which intelligent
management can get out of them.
Use, not reservation from use, 10 the
essential purpose for which they
exist--but use under such conditions
as shall make their benehts perma-
nent.
Control Of the reserves was turned
over to the Bureau Of Forestry last
February, and the necessary re.
organization Is now we'll advanced.
In taking up Its new work, however,
the Forest Service will not abandon
any part of the old field of the Bureau.
Its broad purpose will continue to be
the furtherance BY every possible
means of the movement to introduce
practical forestry everywhere. It
will do its utmost to assist this move.
ment among private owners and In the
several States, not only by scientific
Investigations but by advice and CO.
operation In the actual work of apply.
ing forestry. This imperatively de.
manded If the general welfare 10 not
to suffer profoundly In the future from
a shortage Of timber supply. The
Forest Service will continue the
studies Of forest products, of methods
Of making timber more durable, Of
tree planting, and Of all subjects
which can promote wiser and more
profitable use of our second greatest
resource-for in the value Of their
total contribution to our needs there
can be no doubt that forest products
stand next to those of agriculture.
The 8eld of thelBureau of Forestry
has expanded remarkably in the past
few years. The frat Government
recognition of forestry was in 1875,
when Congress made An appropriation
for a skilled man to prosecute study
Of forest conditions, needs and uses,
and make report to Congress. This
Office was continued until the Division
Of Forestry was created, July l, 1885.
Then from a mere ONCE of information
the Division stepped into the field oi
actual operations, demonstrating By
example how forestry could be made
to pay, and thus furnishing the one
argument needed to convert private
owners from scepticism as to the
practicableness of theory to the
acceptance of proved fact. Wher
this was accomplished new epoch ir
the history of American forestry
opened. Since that time no single
step forward has heen So importan,
as that which the use of the new
name, Forest Service, now marks
This the people of the country, ant
particularly the people of the West
where the reserves are, will come t
realize as they grasp the fact that
scientifically and efficiently admins
tered, the reserves will soon reacl
their highest efficiency as contribu
tors to the wealth and permanen
development of the regions in whic
they lie.