Albuquerque morning journal., 1921-08-21
LUMBER mem AND
F0RESTERS WANT
.N0FEDERAL LAWS
Meeting Of Forestry and
Lumber Men in San Fran
cisco Says U. S. Should
Let State Regulate Forests

Federal forestry experts and pri-
vate lumber operators who attend
ed the meeting of the national for
est policy committee of the United
States chamber of commerce,
which was held August and 4 in
San Francisco, seemed to agree
that the forestry legislation of the
future should come principally
through the state, according to f.
c. w. Pooler. district forester, who
returned Friday from the meeting,
The forestry experts and the
lumber operators agreed that the
best protection for the private tor
ests would come through the CO.
operation and interest Of the lum-
ber operators themselves. The
general feeling, Mr. Pooler states,
was opposed to compulsory legis-
lation in the matter of fire pro-
lection in California. but was In
favor of such compulsory legisla-
ton In oregon and washington.
The reason for this is that IN Cali
fornia the owners of forest lands
take a more active interest in the
preservation of the forests than is
shown by the owners in the other
states.
The operators were in general
opposed also to federal egisiation,
feeling that the forestry question
was matter more for state action
than national, since each state is
naturally more intimately ac-
quainted with the needs of the
forests within It's boundaries.
Mr.. Pooler, who represented
New Mexico and Arizona at the
meeting, told the committee that
he favored state fire legislation,
and the encouragement of active
interest in fire protection and for
est preservation among the lumber
operators of the state.
He urged that forest owners be
encouraged to leave seed trees on
their lands at the time of cutting
in order that the forests might not
be quickly destroyed. In Cali
fornia this is done as matter of
regular practice by the lumber
operators, since they seek to main
tain their Forests in constantly
productive state. New Mexico OPP
orators are more eager for q quick
profit, and have been cutting trees
of a very few inches in diameter,
Mr.. Pooler told the meeting. An
other powerful reason for the leav-
ing of seed trees is that in this
state the growth of forests is slow
er than in California and the ne
cessity for seed trees here is even
greater than in California.
The system of exchange of fed
eral stumpage for tracts of cut
over private lands is also highly
desirable in New Mexico and Art7
zona, Mr.. Pooler advised the COM
mittee, due to the same desire on
the part of the private operators
to obtain quick profit rather than
continuous production. He stated
that he favored the continuance
and increased usage of this plan.
by which the government ex-
changes tracts of its stumpage for
the cut-over tracts in order that 1t
may superintend the re-forestra-
ton.
The committees meeting in San
Francisco is one Of a series Of
meetings of the National Forestry
Policy committee of the United
States Chamber Of Commerce
which have been held in centers
of the forestry industry throughout
the country. The committee meets
with both lumber operators and
federal foresters and after hearing
their discussions of the forestry
situation will report its finding to
the national body.
The meeting was attended by
about sixty or seventy men, both
federal experts and lumber opera
tors. The meeting was presided
over by ex-governor Paldee OF
California. p. G. Reddington. dis
trict forester of California, and
Land Commissioner McAllister of
the Southern Pacific. were in at
tendance at the meeting, as well
as representative from all the
large operators on the Pacific
coast.
The chamber of commerce com
mittee was composed of twelve
men, of whom six were federal eX-
perts and six were private operat-
orS,