The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1921-11-01
A National Forest Policy
BY FREDERICK J. HASKIN

WASHINGTON, D. c., Nov. IA
measure which is designed to put all
of the forest lands in the United States,
whether owned by the state, by the
nation or by private individuals, in
condition of maximum productivity, is
to be strongly urged upon the present
Congress by the industries in this
country which are dependent upon
forest products.
Their first effort is to bring home to
the American citizen the fact that, al
though he lives in one of the finest
timber-growing countries in the world,
his domestic timber supply is being
rapidly exhausted. He is paying high
er prices every year for paper, lumber
and all other wood products. More
and more of them are being imported
every year. Our forest lands are pro-
ducing only a fraction of what they
might produce, and the amount of en-
ployment they afford is corresponding
" limited. A national forest policy is
TO the interest of everyone in the
country
The various great wocd-using indus
tries are supporting the Smell bill,
which embodies exactly what they
want in the way of timber conserva-
ton. Strangely enough the experts Of
the Forest Service, the American
Forestry Associs on, and many others
interested in conservation, seem to be
equally satisfied with this measure. In
word, the business men and the
scientists for once seem to agree upon
what is needed. And the business in
terests for once seem to have perceiv-
ed that their interests will best be
! served in the Ion grun by a policy of
conservation, not one of unplanned
exploitation.
] The trouble is to arouse public inter
est in the measure. Roosevelt years
ago aroused public interest in forest
conservation to high pitch when he
succeeded in having the national for
ests created. The creation and use OF
the national forests has been one OF
| the few indisputable triumphs oil
American legislation and administra
ton. The average man thinks il
solved the forestry problem for al
| time. AS a matter of fact, chile il
helped greatly, it could not in the
nature of the case solve it. The ma
tional forests are, all but few small
areas. in the West. The act came toe
late to enable the government to gel
large timber areas in the East.
i Hence the forests protect only few
varieties of trees, and not the mos
important. BY far the greater par
Of the national forests are timberet
only with pine, spruce and fir-sof
woods of relatively low value Tht
oak, maple, walnut and other valuable
hardwoods are scarcely protected b!
them at all Furthermore, the govern
ment is limited by the act, in it's &C
QUESTION of forest lands, to those tina
protect watersheds. This has kept tht
Forest Service protection away from
important areas.
| Timber Wasted.
It is the vast timber areas, and areas
that might be covered with timber, il
private ownership, that are bein!
, wasted. Fire, for one thing, is de
stroying billions of dollars worth o
timber. Nearly all of it could be pre-
. vented. In the second place, man.
: pieces of land which are admirabl.
fitted for growing timber, and are no
| useful or used for anything else, hav'
long lain waste, and must be reforest
ed. In the third place. owners o
timber lands, and especially small
owners, have no conception of using
forest as a permanent source of wealth