The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1944-04-06
Important
Bill Enacted
Into Law
Means Much To
Plans For Continuing
Lumber Industry Here.
MEASURE ASSURES
MUCH DEVELOPMENT

MUCH DEVELOPMENT
One. of the best items Of news
ever to reach this district came out
during the past week when word
came from Washington that Sem
ate Bill ESQ had finally passed both
houses and had been signed by the
President.
This is legislation that has long
been desired by those men who
have been actively working here
to put into operation sustained pro-
duction Of timber Under this legis-
lation the u. S. forest service is en-
powered to enter into agreement
with private timber owners where
by both private and national TIM
Der will be cut on the sustained
production basis, thus assuring q
supply of logs for local sawmills fr
all time to come. This is a practice
that Is growing in favor throughout
the nation wherever there is lum--
Der industry.
Under this legislation the forest
service will be permitted to sell
its timber to one sawmill company
when that company is the best one
to sustain the industry in any given
district and when that company also
agrees to follow out rules and reg
ulations laid down by the forest
service. The new act also permits
the sale of timber to any one COM
pany SO chosen without competitive
bidding. The public is protected by
an arrangement whereby the timber
is appraised every few years after
which it cannot be sold for less than
the appraised value.
Students of the lumber industry
have long realized that different
methods must be employed in the
harvesting of timber il ghost towns
are not to be the natural result of
the disappearance of the timber.
Sustained yield, or sustained pro-
duction,. is the outgrowth Of the
4 long study given this. problem. 1t
seeks to make the lumber industry
permanent ~ TREATING trees as any
other crop-to be protected and con-
served, the ripe timber harvested
and the young crop allowed to de-
velop for future cutting.
A news dispatch from Washing
ton, D. c., was received this week.
1t also discusses this new legislation
and is printed below
WASHINGTON, April 4.-Great-
err sterilization of forest commune
ties is expected by foresters to re-
suit from new legislation adopted
by Congress recently.
The measure authorizes the Sec
retaries of Agriculture and Interior
to cooperate with the forest indus
tries by giving exclusive purchase
rights for timber harvesting on gov
eminent land to private owners OF
adjacent forests provided harvest
ing schedule for the private land
as well as the public land is in
tegrated on basis to assure con-
tinued balance of growth and yield
The inclusion of timber owned by
state and local government in such
arrangements is also permitted by
the new legislation.
It is expected that this law will
have its greatest public benefit in
areas where private owners of for
estlands do not possess sufficient
quantity of timber to permit them
to balance harvests with new
growth, but where the inclusion Of
nearby government-owned timber
would create unit large enough
to make balanced harvesting posi-
| BILE.
| Voluntary but widespread adop-
ton of these arrangements is ex-
| pected both by government and in
/ dustry spokesman.
! The resultant balancing of growth
with yield will assure hundreds of
forest communities that the timber
resources upon which their liveli-
hood depends will be maintained on
perpetual basis.
Both Secretary Wickard Of the
Department of Agriculture and Sec
rotary of the Department of Int
rior endorsed the measure which
was introduced by the late Senator
Charles l.. McNary of Oregon, in
January l943. The principles of the
bill, however, were first vigorously
urged by Major David T. Mason.
consulting forester, of Portland,
Ore, II years ago, and were re-
peatedly advocated by spokesman
+, for the forest industries.
1t was the second measure adopt
ed by Congress in less than 80 days
on recommendation by the forest
industries and by independent for
esters as a step to help assure per-
petuation of timber resources. The
previous measure was a tax reform
amendment which removed inequi-
ties in the previous federal tax law
which tended to discourage sus-
tanned tree farming.