Williams news., 1913-12-11
GRAVES ADVOCATES FEDERAL CONTROL
 IF FORESTS
Extract from an Address Delivered by Henry s. Graves, U. s. Forester. Before the National Con- servation Congress, Re gently.

gently.
 "The nation has an important stake in forestry Here as Tn all other countries, the real develop ment of forestry began when the government took up its practice. Even today some persons would le We the forests entirely to private owners, others insist that the pnb- lie phases of forestry are altogether a state function and federal activi- ities in this field nncalled for. Those who hold this view are usu- ally either llkewarm concerning the need for forest conservation ar opposed to restricting private acnv- ities. Yet unrestricted private ex- ploitation of the forests is impossi- bic if we are to continue to have the for sts that the nation n, eds.
 National responsibility in for estry is perfectly clearcut. There need be no confusion with an equal ''ly clearcut responsibility of the states. And as to private forestry little of value has yet been done that has not been an outcome of public action through state or fed eral agencies, or both. The nation al work will always be the back bone of American forestry; not trenehing on or interfering with state work or individual efforts, but l. serving as guarantee that nation- \ al needs which individual states cannot meet will be provided for on a national scale.
 Underlying the forestry problem are two fundamental considerations which should be emphasized and reiterated until thoroughly driven
 home. One is the public charac- ter of forestry. Both in the matter of continued supply of forest pro-
 ducts and in that of the conserva- ton of water resources the public
 welfare is at stake. Secondly, sta-
 bility of policy and permanence of
 ownership are essential to my suc-
 cessful attack, on this great conser-
 vation problem.
 q am frequently asked as 1 trav- Tel about the country whether l am Igoing to make important chanses | in forestry policy. l was asked Il
 often this year My answer is that what we are seeking is. not changes
 but the development of perma- nent public enterprise wi'h consis' tent and stable policies The na- r tional forests were set aside in the
 recognition that the bulk of these
 lands should be handled perma- } nsntly under public pr, lection and , control.
 "The aim of the present admin
 istration is not to overturn. but to : take every possible step to increase
 efficiency of the organization, to
 adjust difficulties, and to advance 7 as fas' as possible the purposes foe
 which the national forests were es- tablished.- Secretary Houston re-
 gently said to me:
 Establish permanent houn- 9 daries. Classify your lands; segregate the agricultural land and fix right limits for what is needed :, as protective and productive fores's. ]. Develop permanent policies based l on full recognition of lasting pub . lie interests, and settled forestry ) practice fitted to the individual }, needs of each forest and locality D Study efficiency; make any chsnges l. necessary for this purpose, hut
 make no changes that are mol y clearly called for in the public in 8 terest. Carry out your plans fo' IT the development and increasing Us,
 .f .lo h,,k L.