The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1936-04-02
FORESTRY REVIEWS WORK
OF CCC IN THIS SECTION
Benefits of Program Are Cited
On Anniversary OF Forestry
Corps

OH AAulANCASoAy VI NOAS0IAS
Corps
Editors Note:
This article was withheld until the
present time by request of the State
Department of Forestry, who asked
that it not be released until March 81.
This professional request was not OBJ
served by some newspapers.
Official announcement that the last
day of March marks the third anniver-
sary of the establishment of the Civil
ian Conservation Corps brings from
Mr.. H. C. Buckingham, District For
ester at Cumberland, the statement
that its work has put forward the pro-
gram of the Maryland Department of
Forestry for the development of the
State Forests in Western Maryland
by some twenty-five years. Mr.. Buck
ingham's district comprises Garrett,
Allegany, Washington, and Frederick
counties.
In commenting upon what the CCC
has accomplished SO far, the District
Forester goes on to say: GAS most
people know, our 10000 acres of State
forests, when acquired from time to
time, were in sad state of dilapida-
ton, the result of wasteful cutting and
the ravages of fire. Not only was tree
growth in bad shape, and streamfow
threatened, but wildlife, which ought
to be one of Western Maryland's big
assets, along with timber and scenery,
was growing steadily more scarce.
Repeated forest fires are simply in
compatible with an abundant supply
of game animals, birds and fish,"
"The worst of it was," says Mr..
Buckingham, "that we lacked the
funds for an extensive Improvement
work. 1t looked as though we should
very largely have to mark time until
something in the way of money be-
came available. The CCC, however,
changed all this; we at last had the
means to go ahead"
"Our first job," the District Forest
err states, "was to provide the forest
lands with means for fire protection
and suppression. In the last three
years we have built, with CCC labor,
hundreds of miles of roads, trails, and
telephone lines, and the necessary
bridges. The firebreaks that we have
cleared, if run in straight line, would
extend from Cumberland to Grand
Rapids, Michigan, and the roads and
trails from the sides of which we have
removed brush and other inflamable
material would reach almost to At
lanta, Georgia. These new roads,
moreover, have done much more than
to offer way for fire-fighting crews
to reach the scene of trouble without
loss of time. They shorten distances
between points, and provide an outlet
to market for many farmers who now
have a chance to sell their surplus
crops, where before they were unable
to do so. They have, at the same time,
opened up the forest beauty spots for
local people to enjoy, and as attrac-
tions to bring others in from the out
side, with what that means in the way
of increased revenue for stores, hotels,
boarding houses. and the like"
> Wild life can be made abundant, Mr..
Buckingham contends, by such work
as the CCC has carried on in the last
three years. "In the short hunting
season of last fall" he points out, "103
buck deer were shot in Garrett county,
whereas the year before the bag had
been "a, and in the year before that
even smaller. Credit this remarkable
increase in game largely to increased
in forest fire protection
and suppression made possible by the
presence in Western Maryland of nine
CCC camps. And this is only part of
it. Streams have been improved in
way to make them places in which fish
can live and multiply, for the benefit
of the angler. Small game and many
animals were carried through the rig
ors of last winter by the distribution
of grain and other food. Improve
ment cuttings in the woods have
favored the vegetation upon which
game must feed if it is to live"
Emphasis is placed by Mr.. Buck
ingham upon the fact that the State
Forests are public hunting grounds.