The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1934-04-20

dollar and cents value in the actual timber saved
on public and private land, as well as the poten-
tal timber preserved from fire on land which
is restocking with forest. And the cutting
through of thousands of miles of fire lanes to
check the spread of low-running fires, and trails
to make the areas more accessible for fighting,
are investments of effort Of more than immedi-
ate value.
Some of the men of the corps have been
engaged in rodent control working on grazing
lands rented out by the United States forest
service. Rodents destroy the grass coverage,
seriously reducing the revenue-producing value
of the grazing areas.
"Many thousands Of the CCC are engaged in
what is called cultural forestry. This is the
treatment of forest areas to improve their COM
position, quality and rate of growth. We know
that such work brings dividends in greater
yields. 1t has been demonstrated that cultural
treatment in both pine and hardwood stands will
increase the money yield per acre by two and
onehalf times. This is another phase of the
work which cannot be translated into actual fig
ures today But it is adding in very considerable
measure to future values.
"Tree planting, which many uniformed be-
lieve to be the major work of the CCC actually
represents about per cent of its work. Yet dur
ing the year of the corps present tenure some
two hundred thousand acres will be planted with
SOME TWO nuuuTeu HllllOu trees. rllly years lTOul
this should be merchantable timber worth
twenty million dollars even at present prices.
Much of this planting has dual value, since it
provides protection of watersheds. checks ero-
sion and plays an important part In flood con-
troll. All of these things defy the placing of
monetary value. but value they do have"
Not only does Mr.. Pack realize the Importance
of the CCC work to the future of forestry, but
he also calls these camps 'the biggest night
tbos, fIoh
educational job ever undertaken in this country"
In a message to the heads of forestry schools
throughout the country, he said
'DThere are I'm round numbers three hundred
thousand men in these CCC camps. If they put
in only one hour per night for instruction for
six nights a week, they will use million
eight hundred thousand hours per week in study.
Counting fifty weeks in the year to allow for
time out for various reasons, they will have
devoted ninety million hours to study of one
kind or another.
"Cal it six-hour day and that would mean
fully fifteen million working days put in on
mental development of one kind another.
Reduce that ninety million hours to calendar
days of twenty-four hours each and we have
three hundred seventy-fve thousand days This
then means we will have approximately one thou
sand and twenty-five man-years devoted to educa-
ton in the CCC camps
Forestry under the outline of instruction ap-
proved by President Roosevelt is to have a big
part in the educational set-up. No man living
can estimate what effect this program is going
to have on these young men in the years to
come. Agriculture, vocational training and lot
of the Three RS is going to have a part, too.
Neither any estimate be made now on what
effect this educational program will have on the
lives of the people with whom these young mer
come in contact when they leave the camps. 1t
is the biggest educational job ever undertaken
in this country
"That the young men in the camps anxious
to learn is evidenced by the numerous requests
for the Forestry Primer coming to the Amer
lean Tree association from camp superintendent
and camp commanders. Being in the out-of-d doors
has opened a world to the young men and
a vast majority of them are taking advantage
of the opportunity to acquire knowledge of the
out-of-doors.
1.-THE foresters' profession is confronted with
an even bigger opportunty-the biggest in the
whole history of forestry development in this
country. Now is the time to prove the value of
forestry. As never before the American people
are fast becoming forestry minded We see this
every day in the way schools throughout the land
are taking up forestry study. As Robert Fechner
the director of emergency conservation work
says: Tt is the hope of the President that the
educational program will help the men to read
just themselves to new mode of living In my
opinion 1t will also re-adjust the view of mil
lions as to the value Of our natural resources
g by Western Newspaper Union.