The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1928-03-09
TIMBER NEEDS
SET FORTH.
NATIONAL COMMITTEE ON WOOD
UTILIZATION WRITES COLONEL
GREELEY AND is ANSWERED
BY THE COLONEL IN HIS AC-
CUSHIONED EFFICIENT MANNER
DISCUSSION BROUGHT ON BY
PARK AGITATION.
January 20, 1928.


Colonel william B. Greedy,
Forester of the United States,
Washington, D. G.
Dear Colonel Greeley:-Our efforts
to promote efficient wood utilization
are receiving gratifying support from
manufacturers, distributors, and con-
sumers of forest products, but we are
also meeting a definite undercurrent
of resistance, in the minds OF the
general public, to our repeated IN
sistence upon the fact that increased
utilization of wood-not its decreased
use-is essential to forest perpua-
ton
Preservation of beautiful forest
parks offers q sentimental appear
which has taken strong hold on pub
lie imagination. There is no thought
of criticising or dlscouraging that
sentiment but these beautiful parks
can and should pe preserved With
out allowing a sentimental appeal, un-
related to more than 80 per cent OF
our timber supply, to stand In the
way of perpetuating our only renew
able natural resource for the use ana
service of all the people.
It is quite natural that there should
be confusion in the public mind, as
between preserving certain forest
parks as perpetual monuments TO-
beauty and recreation, and conserv-
ing a great natural resource for utlh-
zation and erpetual naUlonal serV-
ice-but 1t Is obvious that neither the
Forest Service nor the National Com
mittee on Wood Utilization can serve
viz aff1r1Qnf.V
until we clear away the confusion.
During the past few years you have
on various occasions published illuml-
mating statements giving the facts re-
garding most Of the points on which
confusion still exists; but 1t Is too
evident that the public has not kept
these facts in mind clearly enough
to tie them together for an under
standing of the situation as whole
I believe it would be helpful If we
could now have from you, iconcen-
trated in one letter or memorandum,
your views under each of the follow
ing headings, in which have briefly
stated the facts as I understand
,lem:
l. In timber growing, not timber
boarding, lies the solution of our for
estry problem. j.
2. Timber is renewable crop OF
ne soil, and eluclent forest manage
mt therefore demands that it be
i ,ested at maturity.
J. As ripe crops are harvested, the
,.5over lands should be left in re-
,!uctive condition.
. aeforestation py private land
= .asIs is necessarily a purely eco
ionic problem.
5. We are in no danger Of a tim
er shortage if new crops replace the
a1ature trees harvested; otherwise
80 tase Is inevitable.
g. Curtailing the use of wood does
not help the cause of forest perpetual
ton. On v.,e contrary, use alone can
create value, and therefore non-use
to ree-growing.
Z. Continual development Of forest
fire prevention is necessary.
g. Taxes on forest crops during the
long uncertain period of their growth
to merchantable size should be so adj
justed that timber owners can, on a
sound basis, reforest the cutover
areas as successive crops are harvest
ed.
8. Closer utilization of timber
profitable uses for a larger percent
age Of the tree-must be developed
before we can reasonably expect to
solve the economice problem of pri-
vate reforestation.
10. Conservation, as applied to our
forest resources, means utilizing our
one renewable natural resource to
the maximum extent that it can be
made to serve the Nation, under
methods which will insure a perpet-
ual supply.
Very Sincerely Yours,
Axel II. Oxholm, Director.
January Is, 1923.
Mr.. Axel II. Oxholm,
Director, National Committee on
Wood Utilization,
Department Of Commerce.
Dear Mr.. Oxholm:-I have been
greatly interested in reading your let