The Washington herald., 1921-08-26
PROGRESS IN STATE
FOREsTRY PROTECTION

PROGRESS IN STATE
FORESTRY PROTECTION
Never in the history Of this coun-
try has there been such marked in
terest in forest preservation by
State Legislators as at the present
time. according TO oricers Of the
Forest Service OF the Department Of
Agriculture Thirty-threc States
have now provided for some sort %
forestry activities. and twenty-five
share in the Federal cooperative
forest protection fund, allotted to
States maintaining an effective fire
detection and suppression system.
Two others have applied recently
for such assistance. Public backing
I OF the movement to preserve the re-
naming forests from destruction BY
fire. and to put idle forest lands to
work growing trees, is becoming
widespread, and the effects Of the
popular demand for action lie shown
clarIy in the State laws passed this
year.
Pennsylvania under the direction
Of Clifford Pinchot, the new commits
sioner OF forestry. leads all States
in forest activities. The biennial
appropriation passed by the legisla-
ture and approved by the governor
carried sl.s7o.ooo, an increase or
sss3.3oo over the appropriation OF
1919.
The Minnesota legislature wa
more generous with the State fores-
try board than ever before. A to
tai OF S275.GO0 for general fores-
try work was appropriated for the
next two years. Of which Sl25.. 900 a
year is for the fire protection. For
equipment Of a flying field near tho
Twin Cities, $4,000 was voted. The
provision was to meet the offer u
the Federal government to furnis
the service Of twelve planes IL nd
essary hangers and flying field We
provided. While the primary pu
pose Of this agreement is to supp
aerial mail communication, th
planes will be able also to renderV
effective service in ''spotting" for
est fires.
In California the legislature voted
a substantial increase in appropria-
ton for the State board of fores-
try. for the biennial period begin
ming July !.
! Other important State forestry
legislation passed this year was as
follows:
Bills for the compulsory teaching
I OF fire prevention in public schools
were passed by California, Rhode
Island. and West Virginia A similar
measure was passed by the Now
York Legislature but vetoed by the
! governor. New Jersey already has
such a law.
Maine increased the annual tax
on land within the forestry district
from IL to ~ mills on the dollar,
the taxes thus collected 70 be used
exclusively for protection from FIRE
of the forests within the district.
Ohio passed a forest-fre law and
appropriated 5000 a year for two
years for the prevention and cup
preston OF fires.
Tennessee passed a general for
estry bill and appropriated $4,000
for FIRE protection and $500 for
general forestry purposes.
North Carolina increased the
State appropriation for forest pro
lection from $500 to 5000.
In Louisiana provision for State
control ~ all natural resources. IN
GLIDING forests. was provided Tor
by constitutional convention held
early this year.
In New Hampshire provisions
were made for leaving seed trees
on cut-ovcr pine lands, for redis
itrictinG II the State for forest-nre
purposes. and for compulsory forest
fire-patr"l on large cumberland hold
iinCs.
Connecticut provided for roorGan-
,izinC the State forestry administra-
ltion and protection work. and for
NOR, liberal appropriations.
I Several OF the other State leg!s-
llaturcs have also had forestry ques-
tions under consideration. which
have made fo- progress. even where
as in Florida. no definite legislative
enactment took place.
The Georgia legislature. now IN
session, has before IL bill provio-
ling for the appointment OF board
10 investigate the forest conditions
Of the State and to report leEisla-
ton necessary TO solve the forest
problem. In order to arouse public
Interest in this important move
ment. a meeting OF the Southern
Forest Congress was recently held
in Atlanta. II was shown that the
lOmOeT cut HtNNhld
ed S3l-3 per cent in the past ten
years. while the production OF tur-
pentine and rosin has fallen on 70
| per cent. In the opinion OF torest-
ers. Il will be only a few years be-
fore Georgia will take place with
the CarolInas as an insignincant
producer of naval stores.
, In only one state, West virginia,
was the forestry situation given
anything like a setback. In that
State, in recognizing the forest
game and nsh department, forestry
was at first entirely eliminated and
then, lust before passage, an op-
tional provision was included In the
FISH and game bill. by which the
new commission can. IL IL wishes,
lexpcnd not to exceed fourth of its
appropriations for forest protection.
". ID.