Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1907-09-10
State Board of Trade
to Meet i'm Interest of
Vest Virginia Forests

Virginia State Board of Trade in
Guiding twenty-one affiliated county
and city boards and commercial bod
les. has called meeting 20 be held
at Elkins in October at which West
Virginia's forest resources and inter
ests will be considered. Addresses
will be made by prominent men OF
West Virginia and by William l..
Ball of the United States Forest Ser
vice. IL will be the first meeting
ever held in the State for that pur-
pose, aud is proof OF the growing in
terest in the subject one OF the
finest hardwood regions yet remain
ing in the United States lies in
West Virginia.
Experts calculate that II the pres
ent rate OF cutting continues twenty
years longer. the timber resources
OF the United States will be nearly
exhausted. In view of this the Gov
eminent has undertaken the admin
istratiOn of the forests remaining on
its land in the West ami has set
apart more than 100000 square
miles. enough for ten states the size
of West Virginia. and will grow
timber for the future use OF the peo-
pie This land is divided into 159
tracts. called National Forests. and
the mature trees are sold for lum-
Der. and the young growth is pro-
tected against fire and other de-
structive agents. The purpose is
that forests shall produce crop after
crop OF timber just as farms grow
crops of grain and hay.
Large as the national forests are.
they are little more than one-fifth OF
the total timber area OF the United
Safes. Where the government owns
one acre of forest private individuals
and companies own four. The gov
eminent can not solve the whole
problem on its land Private indi-
viduals. companies. and states must
take up the work. for they own
four-fifth5 of the woods OF the United
States. If timber famine. which
is approaching with alarming rapid
ty, is 10 be averted owners OF deed.
ed forest land must act They must
do with their possessions what the
government is doing with its-stop
waste, cut mature trees only let the
sapplings stand, and give the small
growth a chance.
There are many things needful TO
be done, but protection against fire
is one OF the most important. and
the states should do that for all
lands within their borders. 1t can
not be left to the individual land
owners. Cities do not require each
house owner TO look out for his own
property in case OF fire. The state
cannot afford to- do so. Protection
against forest fire is public neces-
sity, and not an individual matter
The government has shown in the
National Forests what is possible in
the way of keeping down fires. Less
than one acre in a thousand Of it's
timber land was burned last year.
This result was due to the proficien-
.cy Of its system Of fire protection.
Few sections OF the country have
more to gain from a practical policy
of forest preservation than West
Virginia. The states area is less
than $500 square miles, and 5000
square miles Of this is forest. This.
however includes cut-over and
burned-over tracts. some OF which
have at present little value, but all
or nearly all may be reforested in
course of time.
In considering denuded tracts it
should be borne in mind that practi-
cal forestry seeks to restore and re-
new as well as to protect and pre-
serve. Where timber will grow
again, and grow better than farm
crops or pasture, II should be given
an opportunity TO do so. Almost
every acre OF West Virginia. If pro-
tected from fire. will clothe itself
again in trees, Notwithstanding the
prospect may now seem we'll nigh
hopeless on some Of the stony noun
tain tops which have been repeated
ly swept by fire until nothing re-
mains to burn
The white pine which once ex-
tended in a broad belt across the
state. following the parallel ridges
Of the Allegheny range. Is practical
~ a thing Of the past. although some
small patches remain. However. I'm
most situations in West Virginia
where this valuable timber once
grew. a sufficient number of seed
trees remain TO re-stock the ground.
and they will do It If fire is kept out.
and pine forests will come on again.
The hemlock and the spruce are
going as the white pine went. pulp
mills demand the spruce. down TO
the small sapplings which. by all
rules OF forest economy. should be
left to grow larger for future use.
Tanneries in their search for hem
lock bark have literally wiped out
forests which formerly seemed ex-
haustless sawmills following the
bark peelers used the trunks. and