Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1916-04-14
TWELVE FOREST RESERVATIONS
They Are Distributed Through Seven Counties, Town
shend Having the Only One in Windham County
Forestry Secretary Explains Cooperative Work

which we now nave III NclhiOhV 10 4"
great and pressing question at tins
time. Whenever any individual can eX-
ercise any influence whatsoever TO,
wards saving the timbered areas OF
our Green mountains from rutnless
slaughter he should do so, not only
for himself but for those who are
coming in the years later on. Dur
ing the past six years the people Oh
Vermont have become increasingly III
tercsted in the work of the Forestry
Association of Vermont. rms asso
citation was instrumental i'll bringing u
state forester to Vermont and IN max
ing the department of forestry, com
prisng the state forester and ms as
sistants, a permanent state depart
ment. BY cooperation with the FOR
cstrv association the state forester mas
placed Vermont in the vanguard or the
forestry movement in the United
States. OF the objects of the associa-
ton none is more important to the
citizens of the state than the increase
of state holdings of forest lands III
the several counties, especially where
necessary to protect watersheds
The policy of state forests has oeen
definitely adopted by Vermont through
the action of the Legislature of l9l2
which established an annual approprl-
alton for the purchase Of lands Tor
forest purposes. There are now IL
state forests aggregating l2,OOO acres
situated in Underhill, Stowe, DuXbury,
Huntington, Plainfeld, Mendon, Shar-
on, Arlington, West Rutland, CaVen-
dish, Townsend and Worcester.
State Forest Purposes.
The purposes of the state forests as
summed up by the state forester IN MS
report for 1915 are five in number:
/. To furnish local demonstrations,
to increase the general practice OF for
estry
9. To furnish places for careful eX-
perimentation and study to secure IN
formation which will be available for
the general public.
An excellent illustration of the value
of reforestation is found in Lyndon
The problem here is to control the
shifting sands which are increasing
very rapidly and which will in time be-
come serious menace to the town.
There are other towns in the state
which face the same or similar prob
lens and the results obtained at LYn-
don will be of considerable benefit to
other localities. The state planta-
ton, largely of White and Scotch pine,
made in the sand, has already con
WINGED many people that these Varle-
ties will thrive in barren wastes and
check the further destruction by the
sand. There are now about 10 acres
of thrifty paintings from one to four
years old This plantation, convent
emily situated for observation, being
near the railroad and the highway, has "a.
already proved Of large educational
value. in all of the other state for
ests demonstration experiments are be-
ing carried on and the forestry depart
ment is ma king them of the greatest
use to the people of the localities III
which they are situated. An increas
ed interest in reforestation has been
evident in all the towns surrounding
these demonstration paintings.
3. To grow lumber, especially OF
the larger sizes, and wood which viii
eventually be valuable to local indus
tries.
4. To derive an income for the
state from land which would other
wise be of little value.
;. To protect the local water sup
ply and improve the scenery.
The purchase of 5000 acres in Snug
gler's Notch and on Mount Mansfield
by the state has given Vermont TIL
second largest state forest in Nev
England, New Hampshire leading witt
5000 acres in the Crawford Notch
This purchase in Smugglcr's Notch an
on the mountain was brought abou
largely through the activity of mem
bers of the Forestry association VIII
interested the governor and the stat
forester.
The state of New Hampshire, it
said, paid 100000 for the Crawfor
Notch tract, while the MansfcldSmu
eler's Notch forest cost the state O
Vermont about $l3,500. 1t is to b
noted, however, that in the New Haml
shire case the merchantable timbe
was included in the purchase, Will
funds were not available for the We
mont forestry department to purchas
all the standing timber.
This purchase will prove of grei
value in future years. Cousiderab
timber will be left standing, due
the restrictions on cutting agreed
by the grantors, and within fc
years this forest will begin to retu
revenue to the state. Lumber M
wood will be sold Mt the prcVailr
market price by the state whenev
cutting seems advisable.
Under certain circumstances deser
ing persons will be allowed to remo'
dead wood and other material und
the rules of the department of flo
cstry The practice is very CONNIE
in Germany and is done in such Il W;
as to improve the standing timber.
similar policy will be followed i'll Il
state forest of Vermont The value
such forest to all the surroundil
towns can hardly be ovcrestimated
No Menace in State Ownership.
State ownership does not mean le
business for the local lunbermcn;
the contrary, it means more and stea
Ter employment. The people of t
nearby localities will naturally be t
ones who will profit financially,
cause they will do the cutting, ha
ing and saving, as well as the woo
working, just as before, only the wo
will be done under the supervision