The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1921-01-03
OUR VANISHING FORESTS.
Wood Using Industries Threatened Five
Times More Cut Than Is Grown.

Investigation during the war to locatel
available supplies of timber to meet ar
my needs revealed a situation so serious
that it threatens the very existence of
those industries of the state that denend
on untalhng supplies Of forest products,
according to George ID. Pratt, conserva-
tive commissioner of New York.
In no state is the situation more crit
icaI than IN New York, continues the
commissioner. This is due to the fact
that New York is the greatest user of
wood of any state, the total annual CON
sumption amounting to more than I750-
Upo,uD board feet of lumber. in addition
TO l,OU0,HO cords of pulp wood, more
than 10000 cords for wood alcohol and
other products of distillation, and enor-
nous quantities of other material for rail-
road ties, coOperage, poles and fuel wood
1t has been estimated that the annual
amount spent for lumber in the state is
more than $60,00O,O00 about twO-thirds Of
which goes outside of the state
| In spite Of the fact that approximate
| " twO-thlrds of the annual lumber needs
are met by importation, il is nevertheless
! true that we are actually cutting within
| the state from three to five times more
| timber than Is grown here each year. Sta
! tlstlcs of forest products for 1918, which
IS the last year for which they have been
! compiled, show that in that year we cut
| l62,28 1884 board feet, in addition To 49,
| 65t .34G miscellaneous pieces, like posts,
/
| Our forests are thus RAPIDLY vanish
ing and it requires little more than arith
| metIcal computation to determine the
time when timber production in New
York state viii be a negligible industry
1t is clear that the remedy for this sitUa.
ton is one Of the most fundamentally i'm,
portant problems with which We have to
deal in New York today"
Among the first steps advocated bv the
commission is the division of the state in
to ten forestry districts, each under the
| supervision of an experienced forester
Through these foresters an up-to-date
| system OF forest fire protection could be
extended to all forests in the state A
comprehensive inventory of the forest re-
! sources OF the state Is also urged, to fur
nish a basis for adequate steps to insure a
future timber supply, to include standing
| timber resources, 4 survey Of the soil fol
the purpose of determining the lands fiji
for agriculture and those that should h
used for permanent forestry purposes.
L. with proper administration of the
> land best adapted to timber productions
continues Mr.. Pratt, writing in the com
missions monthly bulletin, "New Yorl
D state should eventually be able to supply
n large Dart. II not all Of the timber
needs. ACCORDING to the best Information
, which we have, the present forest area o
B. the state ia about 100000 acres, or ap
DrOyimately 40 per cent of the entir'
state. In addition there is a large acreage
, which now lies abandoned. hut which i
= we'll adapted to and can well be used fo
: forestry purposes.
Il believe that the state should sup
ply trees for reforestation free OF charge
d under agreements with the land owner
e that the trees will be pronerlv planted an,
cared for. For every dollar spent in tn
- distribution of free trees the Industrle
L of the state and the people at large vii
> roalize q direct return multiplied man.
times. The development Of communit
: forests. a practice which has been fol
: lowed in Europe for MANY years, is al
= readv under wav and much interest ha
}, heeu shown in the planting Of forests n
lands owned hv cities, townships, countie
= and school districts.
The marketing Of various forest pro
: ducts Is also a matter which could he mad
q to work 10 the much Greater advantage c
y the DeOnle Of the state. The collection c
. information throughout the state as t
the demands Of the nT"ket and the distr
:. button of this information among nrodu'
: ers of timber would JOINTLY benefit tll
: producer Of the timber. the manufacture
and the ultimate consumer.
: "Another matter upOn which leglSlatto
. is urgently needed Is that of forest tn
;; alton. Under the present system th
:: land owner cuts his trees at The tim
4, when they are growing most ranidly, h'
2 cause the high fax recurring each veal
7. and the uncertainty as to future taxation
l. discourage any other method. \ ration
system of tava+iOn would provide for ~
/, harvesting of the mature cron and not, f.
the cutting of trees before they are ha
l. * full sumrrorv &c rne benefits tia
will accrue to New York state rpon ~
n adontion of = broad plan for forest IL
veloument will reach into practical
= o7erv phase of the life Of the peonh
= ! Hardly an industry can he named WIFI"
r. il rot in one way or another dependen
il unon supplies of wood. With the deve
n cnment Of orr water resources the nee
for wood supplies will be even greater