The Alaska daily empire., 1922-01-05
WALLACE COMES
 TO DEFENSE OF
 FOREST POLICY
Administration of Alaska For ests Inseparable from
 Those Tn States.

i '"The problems of forest admin igtration in Alaska" declared Seerc- tary Wallace of the Department of Agriculture, in his annual report to l Coneress s, "are inseparably linked with similar problems encountered i in the States, and an efficient, de centralized local administration has been esta blished which is function ing in close coordination with the other scientific bureaus of the De partment Because of the distance the representatives of the Depart ment in Alaska have been given larger powers than representatives in the States The effort has been to delegate the largest possible auth ority in order that prompt decisions may be made on the ground.
 Forest Road Work.
 "The Forest Service, as mas been nGted in dealing with it's activities i'll this report, has charge of the large national forests there. The Bureau Of Public Roads handles for ' st-.oad construction under the Fed
 ral cid act Extension work through
 he States Relations Service is car
 jed cn from five different agricul- sural experiment stations scattered through the Territory. Through these activities the people of Alaska have the same benefit from the work done by the Department of Agri- { culture as have the people of the States.
 f "Tha ecrvice rendered by the De- pertinent Of Agriculture in Alaska 3i exactly the same sort of service that it renders in the various States and II Territories, modified, of course. to meet local conditions. It maintains in Alaska nine stations of the Weather Bureau. The Biological Sur vey has four stations which give attention to the reindeer and land l fur bearing animals"
 i Discusses Forest Policy.
 f MT. Wallace discusses in some de- tail the National Forest policy and outlines what has been done by his Department since the National For osts were placed in its charge by Act of Congress in 1905. Until re- cent years" he says, the forests of the United States were looked upon as the gift of a beneficent Creator, . ready prepared for the harvest, for l: the profit of those individual citizens 1: to whom they were most freely par |: celed out by liberal Government. !: Only since the date named has there been definite national forest policy
 After pointing cut that but 137, : 000,0 ,000 acres out of an original forest area of more than 800, ,000 acres now remains in virgin forest, the Secretary continues:
 "The cutting of these virgin for ests was done wastefully and with little thought of growing a second crop of timber It was question of mediate profit, not future need, This has resulted in a staggering
 loss in timber production, and has imperiled our future supply of wood. More than this, in mountain areas the evil extends to soil erosion steadily increasing in volume and dcetructivenesa and irregularities in etreamtlcw ranging from excessive floods to excessive periods of low water The denudaticn of mountain lands under private misuse has much to do with our difficulties in main taining the navigability of streams and preserving regular sources of water supply urgently needed for irrigation"
 Objects of Policy.
 The objects of the present forest policy are stated to be:
 First The administration of the National Forests in such a way as to promote the greatest possible utilization for all purposes, and at the same time the greatest possible growth of timber. While the Ma tional Forests are being administ- cred as national property, the well being of local communities, which are largely agricultural in character, is a primary consideration.
 Second. The extension of the Ma tional Forests through the purchase of lands which will protect the watersheds of navigable streams. This policy represents today the most striking application of public foresight to land problems in the history of the United States"
 Third. Scientific research to find cut the cheapest and best methods of growing the maximum timber crops. How to use forest products most effectively and with least waste. and how to bring into adjustment production and future needs through "a sound public forest policy.
 Fourth. Dissemination of infor- ] nation. and cooperation with States.