The Cordova daily times., 1922-01-07

and intensive study of what America needs to keep her forest lands produc- tive in each important region--a move which goes to the very heart of the serious and growing lumber and tim Der problems facing the country is in full swing at the present time. the Forest Service, United States Depart ment of Agriculture, states in it's an nual report just made public.
 The report discusses the situation from two angles, past and present reviews in detail important work done during the last fiscal year, anticipates so far as the accuracy of practical and scientific observations will per. init the needs of the future, and sug- gests important steps which should be taken toward meeting those needs. During the past year the Forest Service has initiated second import ant step toward the restoration Of American forests. The first step was the survey of the country's remaining timber supplies and their rate of de- pletion, a summary of which already has been published. The second step, undertaken in cooperation with state foresters. timberland owners, repre- sentatives of forest industry organiza- tions and forest schools, is com prehensive study of the requirements in protection and reforestation neces- sary to keep forest lands productive.
 Conditions in the southern pine belt, the Appalachian hardwood area, the Lake States. intermountain country, the Pacific Northwest and Alaska are all under close scrutiny. The import ant principle of the study is to put into concrete terms the meaning of forestry regulations" in each section. Instead of dealing in general terms, the Forest Service plans to bring the forestry movement down to spe- cific recommendations for minimum standards in actual woods work It will thus serve, Forester w. B. Gree ley reports, as the base for any plan of public regulation of forest lands and also aid the landowner who undertakes the growing of timber crops himself.
 Whatever legislation is enacted and there is need for legislation-two principles, the forester advises must be recognized if the United States is to be placed upon self sustaining timber basis. The first is that the public has an interest in forest lands similar to it's interest in most forms of public utilities; and the, second is an economic process governed by eco homie laws. In insisting that it's for est lands be productive rather than idle, the forester points out, the nation cannot avoid its own responsi- bility for reducing the general risks and losses attendant upon timber pro- duction which has often made it a hazardous or unprofitable undertak- ing" Protection must be provided against forest fires; and taxes on timber lands must be adjusted the forester states, so as to encourage the employment of such lands for growing crops
 No single piece of Federal legisla- tion can work out this problem of such vital importance to the nation. Most urgent, at this time, however, ill the forester's opinion, are the fol- lowing subjects for Federal legisla- tiOn:
 "lD The extension of Federal CO., operation in the protection of all classes of forest land from fire, in conformity with standards fixed by the Secretary of Agriculture. Such CO., operation should not be limited to the watersheds of navigable streams, as at present. but should be available on all forest lands within the states pre- pared to join in cooperative effort.
 "(2) The extension of public for, est ownership by incorporating within National Forests the public lands now under Federal ownership or control which are adapted primarily to grow ing timber or the protection of water sheds; by acquiring cut-oyer forest lands within or adjoining National forests, through exchanges; and by purchasing forest lands with a view both to the protection of navigable watersheds and to the restoration of forests on areas now denuded and idle"
 Reviewing the past fiscal year ac- tiviaioo fho raport fa11S of uyorlx