The Dolores star., 1923-04-13
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encouragement to timber growing of this sort, espe
cially by making available the Information needed
to grow the character of timber best adapted to
the respective regions, by making planting ma
terial available at the lowest possible cost, and
by concessions In taxation which would justify the
farmer in setting aside some of his higher priced
land for this purpose.
THE draft bill which you have presented con-
templates cooperation between national and state
authorities to protect timber from fire, the federal
government to bear Il part of the expense.
heartily concur in the policy of inducing all the
forest states TO pass satisfactory protection egs
lation, by providing that the secretary of agricul
ture may withhold cooperation with them in forest
protection unless the requirements which he shall
propose are adequately met.
The taxation of privately owned forest lands Is
a matter of state policy and varies widely in differ
ent states. and it is suggested that the
secretary of agriculture be given ample authority
to study the taxation policies of the several states
regarding timber lands and growing timber, togeth-
er with their particular effects upon reforesaton
and to cOllaborate with proper agencies of the
states in devising improved methods of taxing for
est lands adapted to their conditions.
Being firmly convinced that national leadership
in conserving, protecting and encouraging the
growth of our timber resources is absolutely neces-
sary feel that legislation along the line proposed
in the draft which you have submitted represents
an important step in the perfection of truly ma
tional forest policy"
Col. W. Z. Greeley is head of the forest service
Of the Agricultural department. which has charge
Of the national forests. These number 149 in %
states and contain 156S37,2S2 acres. The forest
service runs the biggest numbering and grazing
business In the world Forester Greeley in his
last annual report, has this to say, among other
things:
THE problem has two main features. The first
feature is the rising cost Of timber products, which
Is due primarily to heavier transportation charges
from more and more distant sources of supply The
cut of lumber is decreasing in all the Eastern
states; in practically state west of the Great
Plains 1t is increasing. The large sawmills of the
country are in full migration westward to the last
great virgin timber supply on the Pacific coast
During the past thirty years the pneries of the
South have been the mainstay of the denseIy popr-
lated Central and Eastern states for softwood lum-
Der. Their cut is dwindling Every wear scores of
sawmills are dismantled
THE second feature of forest problem Is the
unproductive condition Of immense areas of land
which are not adapted to agriculture. The amount
Of unproductive land left in the wake of the saw.
mills or abandoned by the farmer has assumed
enormous proportions. Our merchantable timber
is being cut at the rate Of four five million acres
annually, and enormous areas of logged-off land
have accumulated which are not fit for cultivation
but on which little or new timber is being grown
What to do with unused and unproductive land is
one of the most fundamental economic and social
problems Of the United States
'The use of these vast areas of nontillable lond
for growing successive crops of timber would in
sure ultimately supply of forest products ade
quate for all national requirements 1t would 20
far toward maintaining a virile rural population
ana stable rural communities in the regions of in
feror soil and limited agriculture"
Minnesota affords n concrete example of the fore
going eeneralities. Twenty years ago Minnesota
was at the top of the lumber-producing states
Now 1t sends out of the state $500 1000 year for