FORESTRY RESEARCH

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1928

UNITED STATES SENATE,

COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY,

Washington, D. C. The committee met, pursuant to call, at 10.30 a. m., in room 326, Senate Office Building, Senator Charles L. McNary presiding. Present: Senators McNary (chairman), Norbeck, Frazier, Ransdell, and Kendrick.

Present also: Hon. John McSweeney, a Representative from the State of Ohio.

(The committee had under consideration Senate bill 1183 which is here printed in full as follows:)

[S. 1183, Seventieth Congress, first session]

A BILL To insure adequate supplies of timber and other forest products for the people of the United States, to promote the full use for timber growing and other purposes of forest lands in the United States, including farm wood lots and those abandoned areas not suitable for agricultural production, and to secure the correlation and the most economical conduct of forest research in the Department of Agriculture, through research in reforestation, timber growing, protection, utilization, forest economics, and related subjects, and for other purposes

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, That the Secretary of Agriculture is hereby authorized and directed to conduct such investigations, experiments, and tests as he may deem necessary under sections 2 to 10, inclusive, in order to determine, demonstrate, and promulgate the best methods of reforestation and of growing, managing, and utilizing timber, forage, and other forest products, of maintaining favorable conditions of water flow and the prevention of erosion, of protecting timber and other forest growth from fire, insects, disease, or other harmful agencies, of obtaining the fullest and most effective use of forest lands, and to determine and promulgate the economic considerations which should underlie the establishment of sound policies for the management of forest land and the utilization of forest products: Provided, That in carrying out the provisions of this act the Secretary of Agriculture may cooperate with individuals and public and private agencies, organizations, and institutions, and, in connection with the collection, investigation, and tests of foreign woods, he may also cooperate with individuals and public and private agencies, organizations, and institutions in other countries; and receive money contributions from cooperators under such conditions as he may impose, such contributions to be covered into the Treasury as a special fund which is hereby appropriated and made available until expended as the Secretary of Agriculture may direct, for use in conducting the activities authorized by this act, and in making refunds to contributors: Provided further, That the cost of any building purchased, erected, or as improved in carrying out the purposes of this act shall not exceed $2,500, exclusive in each instance of the cost of constructing a water supply or sanitary system and of connecting the same with any such building.

SEC. 2. That for conducting fire, silvicultural, and other forest investigations and experiments the Secretary of Agriculture, through the Forest Service, is hereby authorized, in his discretion, to maintain the following forest experi

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ment stations for the regions indicated, and in addition to establish and maintain one such station for the Intermountain region in Utah and adjoining States, one in Alaska, and one in the tropical possessions of the United States in the West Indies:

Northeastern forest experiment station, in New England, New York, and adjacent States;

Allegheny forest experiment station, in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, and in neighboring States;

Appalachian forest experiment station, in the southern Appalachian Mountains and adjacent forest regions;

Southern forest experiment station, in the Southern States;

Central States forest experiment station, in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky, Missouri, Iowa, and in adjacent States;

Lake States forest experiment station, in the Lake States and adjoining States;

California forest experiment station, in California and in adjoining States; Northern Rocky Mountain forest experiment station, in Idaho, Montana, and adjoining States;

Northwestern forest experiment station, in Washington, Oregon, and adjoining States, and in Alaska;

Rocky Mountain forest experiment station, in Colorado, Wyoming, Nebraska, South Dakota, and in adjacent States; and

Southwestern forest experiment station, in Arizona, and New Mexico, and in adjacent States.

There is hereby authorized to be appropriated annually, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, not more than $1,000,000 to carry out the provisions of this section.

SEC. 3. That for investigations by the Bureau of Plant Industry of the diseases of forest trees and of diseases causing decay and deterioration of wood and other forest products, and for developing methods for their prevention and control at forest experiment stations, the Forest Products Laboratory, or elsewhere, there is hereby authorized to be appropriated annually, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, not more than $250,000.

SEC. 4. That for investigations by the Bureau of Entomology of forest insects injurious or beneficial to forest trees or to wood or other forest products, and for developing methods for preventing and controlling infestations, at forest experiment stations, the Forest Products Laboratory, or elsewhere, there is bereby authorized to be appropriated annually, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, not more than $250,000.

SEC. 5. That for such experiments and investigations by the Biological Survey as may be necessary in determining the life histories and habits of forest animals, birds, and wild life, whether injurious to forest growth or of value as supplemental resource, and in developing the best and most effective methods for their management and control at forest experiment stations, or elsewhere, there is hereby authorized to be appropriated annually, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, not more than $150,000.

SEC. 6. That for such investigations by the Weather Bureau at forest experiment stations, or elsewhere, of the relationship of weather conditions to forest fires as may be necessary to make weather forecasts, there is hereby authorized to be appropriated annually, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, not more than $50,000.

SEC. 7. That for such experiments and investigations by the Forest Service as may be necessary to develop improved methods of management, consistent with the growing of timber and the protection of watersheds, of forest ranges and of other ranges adjacent to the national forests, at forest or range experiment stations, or elsewhere, there is hereby authorized to be appropriated annually, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, not more than $275,000.

SEC. 8. That for experiments, investigations, and tests by the Forest Service with respect to the physical and chemical properties and the utilization and preservation of wood and other forest products, including tests of wood and other fibrous material for pulp and paper making, and such other experiments, investigations, and tests as may be desirable, at the Forest Products Laboratory or elsewhere, there is hereby authorized to be appropriated annually, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, not more than $1,000,000, and an additional appropiation of not more than $50,000 annually for similar experiments, investigations, and tests of foreign

woods and forest products important to the industries of the United States. including necessary field work in connection therewith.

SEC. 9. That the Secretary of Agriculture, through the Forest Service, is hereby authorized and directed, under such plans as he may determine to be fair and equitable, to cooperate with appropriate officials of each State of the United States and either through them directly with private or other agencies, in making a comprehensive survey of the present and prospective requirements for timber and other forest products in the United States, and of timber supplies, including a determination of the present and potential productivity of forest land therein, and of such other facts as may be necessary in the determination of ways and means to balance the timber budget of the United States. There is hereby authorized to be appropriated annually, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, not more than $250,000: Provided, That the total appropriation of Federal funds under this section shall not exceed $3,000,000.

SEC. 10. That for such investigations by the Forest Service of costs and returns and the possibility of profitable reforestation under different conditions in the different forest regions of the proper function of timber growing in diversified agriculture and in insuring the profitable use of marginal land, in mining, transportation, and in other industries, of the most effective distribution of forest products in the interest of both consumer and timber grower, and for such other economic investigations of forest lands and forest products as may be necessary, there is hereby authorized to be appropriated annually, out of any money in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, not more than $250,000.

The CHAIRMAN. I have called the committee together to consider S. 1183, a bill to insure adequate supplies of timber and other forest products for the people of the United States, to promote the full use for timber growing and other purposes of forest lands in the United States, including farm wood lots and those abandoned areas not suitable for agricultural production, and to secure the correlation and the most economical conduct of forest research in the Department of Agriculture, through research in reforestation, timber growing, protection, utilization, forest economics, and related subjects, and for other purposes.

I am advised that Colonel Greeley, the Chief of the Forest Service, is here and desires to make the opening statement for the use of the committee and the record. Colonel Greeley, if you will occupy the end chair, please, and proceed.

STATEMENT OF COL. W. B. GREELEY, CHIEF OF THE UNITED STATES FOREST SERVICE

Colonel GREELEY. Mr. Chairman and gentlemen, the purpose of this bill is to set up a program for the next 10 years covering all phases of forestry research which are conducted by the Department of Agriculture. The bill is designed directly to provide during the coming 10 years, as far as the Department of Agriculture should contribute it, the scientific data necessary to direct soundly and effectively the use of one-fourth of the soil of the United States for the production of timber and the effective use of that timber after it is grown in adapting it to the many commercial and industrial requirements of the country.

I know that this committee is familiar with the general economic change coming about in the United States in the use of our forest land and in the manufacture and use of the products of that land. We are gradually leaving behind us the period when our use of timber was based upon the exploitation of virgin forests. We are

entering upon a period when our supply of timber depends upon the growing of wood as a crop, and where the protection of timber, not only from fire, but from insects and destructive diseases, where the utilization of the timber in all the many forms in which it is required for the needs of the consumers, are becoming questions which involve new technical processes and new technical methods. It is all a part of the general process of remaking our use of the forest land and its products. That process is one of the most fundamental and economic changes gradually coming about in the United States.

Now, that process is going on to-day. Forestry is being practiced more and more largely, not only by the National Government on its holdings, by the States on their holdings, but to an increasing degree by farmers in connection with farm activities, and by the industrial owners of forest land in various industries. As this remaking of our land use in reference to the forest soil of the United States takes place, and as the industrial developments growing out of the diminished supply of timber takes form, there is an enormous demand for scientific data, accurately and soundly arrived at, on which this whole economic development can be soundly based and intelligently directed. We are to-day doing a good deal of work in the Department of Agriculture in various bureaus of the department to supply this scientific information. But the_work now being done is wholly inadequate to the existing needs. In the Forest Serviceand I know that the same is true of other bureaus of the department-we are far behind the current and pressing demands made upon us by forest industries and by the agricultural interests identified with forestry for current information on the growing of timber, on the planting of timber, on protecting timber stands from destructive insects, protecting timber from destructive diseases, and in the most effective ways of utilizing the timber after it is produced.

The purpose of this bill then is to set up a program for the coming 10 years of what the Department of Agriculture should undertake through all of its bureaus to supply this technical information. It is a research bill. It sets up a research program. The bill conveys no additional authority to the Department of Agriculture, except in one or two minor details, such as in relation to the procurement of buildings; it creates no new organization; it does not change in any respect the existing work of the various bureaus of the Department which are conducting forestry research.

Section 1 restates the existing authority and functions of the Secretary of Agriculture working through all of his bureaus to deal with forestry research. There is no new authority in that section except in the minor detail I have referred to, and no change in the existing status or functions of the several bureaus. From that point on the bill sets up a program in the form of authorizations for the various lines of forestry research designed to cover what we believe to be necessary and at the same time practicable during the next 10 years.

The existing expenditures by the Department of Agriculture in all forms of forestry research, including the investigations bearing upon timber utilization at the Forest Products Laboratory, including the work of the Bureau of Entomology on forest insects, the work of the Bureau of Plant Industry on forest diseases, the work of the

Weather Bureau on forest fire and weather predictions and so on, amounts to-day to about $1,200,000 a year. That represents the total contribution which the Federal Government is making to work out the scientific basis for this tremendously, important economic use of one-fourth of the soil of the United States and the products from that very large fraction of our national land.

The expenditures of the Department of Agriculture are supplemented by expenditures under the direction of State forestry departments, a number of universities, some research institutions, like the Carnegie Institute, and expenditures by various industries dealing with the particular phases of forestry research which are of concern to them. It is probable that the $1,200,000 expended by the Federal Government is a little more than matched by the total expenditures of all other agencies on all forms of research in forestry and timber utilization. In other words, taking the public effort, the State effort, and the private effort combined we are putting about $2,600,000 a year into developing the scientific bases for forestry in the United States. That may be compared with the $18,000,000 or $20,000,000 a year which the Federal Government and the States are expending on research activities for the development of agriculture.

This question has been very thoroughly studied by various groups, including a committee representing the Society of American Foresters, and the program has been prepared, which undertakes to summarize the important and urgent research projects which should be undertaken and carried through within a reasonable time in order to provide our timber growers and timber users in this country with the accurate scientific data they need. That program indicates that in the course of the next decade, or so, an annual expenditure of $9,000,000 or $10,000,000 would not be out of place with the size and importance of these problems. And in proposing this increase for forestry research by the Department of Agriculture we believe that one of its most valuable results will be the stimulation of similar lines of work by many other agencies, just as our research work in the past has resulted in increased interest and effort on the part of State forestry departments and forestry schools, and many industries, and we believe that an expansion of this nature by the Department of Agriculture will result in greatly increased interest and effort on the part of many other agencies in the country which should have a part in forestry research. That is evident in every interest where the Forest Service in recent years has established a forestry station; inside of two or three years that forestry station has been instrumental in creating interest in forestry research in various groups, forestry institutions, or schools, and other agencies, in the regions which it serves. And the research work has not been only the research done by the Federal Government, but it has been augmented by the research done by many other agencies and groups in the field.

The authorizations set up in this bill, running from section 2 to section 10, each section dealing with a distinct phase or category of forest research, represent a total of $3,575,000 when the full amounts authorized shall become effective in annual appropriations. That does not include separate authorization for a survey of existing timber supplies and resources. In other words, this bill anticipates