The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1921-04-24
SHERMAN SPEAKS ON
FLORIDA FORESTRY
Associate U. S. Forester Outlines
Needs of State Law For Better
Results.

Associate Forester E. A. Sherman of
the forest service, U. S. department of
agriculture, speaking before a recent
meeting of the Florida bankers. at Mi
ami, outlined for the bankers a bill
| suggested by Colonel Greeley, head of
the forest service.
This bin does not cover the entire
field Mr.. Sherman said. For exam
pie, 1t leaves the question of forest
| taxation untouched. The reason for
this is thta it is believed to be the
part Of wisdom to establish your state
board of forestry first, in order that
you may have the assistance and
counsel and local viewpoint of such an
organization in working out a suitable
system of forest taxation. It must be
recognized from the outset, however,
that to meet the situation taxes must
be levied In such ways that do not
discourage the holding and protection
of young growing timber.
"a number of states have already
met this problem by providing for a
soil tax separate from the timber and
a relatively high yield tax on the tim
Der at the time 1t is cut and marketed.
/ would not relieve the owner of for
| est land from the obligation of bearing
/ his fair share of the public burden,
but | would not permit an uneconomic
and archaic form of taxation to stran-
gle the growing forests of the state.
THE measure suggested by Colonel
Greeley provides first for a represent
alive and non partisan state board of
! forestry, a state forester of technical
qualifications. and practical expert
| ence, the organization of forest fire
and protective system, the encourage
ment of forest planting. and the es-
Establishment of a state forest nursery.
the distribution of planting stock to
private owners, technical investiga
tions and studies cooperation of priv
ate owners, and the practical manage
ment of their holdings the distribution
of information to citizens through
publicity, and the acquisition and ad-
| ministration of state forests.
| TN all this, fire control is easily go
per cent of the problem. Fires and
forests cannot both flourish In the
same region. The greatest enemy to
Florida's forest wealth is your ground
fire. Your owners of forests should be
encouraged and required to protect
their lands from fire. Self-interest is
not always sufficient If merchantable
timber is not threatened the owner is
too often Indifferent. His selfish In
terests rebel at spending his money in
protecting young trees that will make
sawlogs he can never hope to live to
SELL.
But even though he may not live
to sell those sawlogs, Florida is GER
tain to live to need them most urgent
ly. Since the state is interested. 1t
is proper for the state to safeguard
her interests In doing so the state
Twill naturally not be unmindful of her
| obligations and will deal fairly with
the owner. While he will be required
to take reasonable precautions against
i forest fires, he should not be required
to bear financial burden resulting
from the negligence of others. There
fore, to the extent that the cost of fire
protection is caused by society as a
whole, it is clearly Just that the state
| should bear the burden. But the in
terest in your States forests extends
beyond the confines of your state.
"The other states 'and the nation
as a whole are interested as well. Con-
gress has recognized a national inter-
est in privately owned forests by APP
propriating funds for protecting from
| fire such forests as are situated on