Senator McNary Introduces National Forrestry Policy Bill

Washington, I)ec. 17.-The first legislative result of nine rr.ronths of rvork lrv the Senate Select Committee on Reforestation r"'as the introdttction cin Satr-rrday, b1- Senator )IcNary, its cirairtnan, of a bill that is intendecl to provicle the founclation of a general American forestry policl The bill is essentialll' of the fift)'-fifty national and state cooirerative class, lrttt unlike the existing Weeks' 1a'r'r'. its lrrovisions are not coufined to the n'atersheds of navigal>le stream s.

'Ihe Secretary tlf Agriculture is <lirected, in cool>eration rvith state officials ancl other agencies, to reccomtnencl s1'stems of forest fire prevention ancl sttpllression for each forest region of the United States, rl'ith a view to the protection of forests and u'ater resources; and the continuotts irrodnction of tinrlrer on lands chiefly suitable for that purI)ose.

The appropriatiou of $2,500,000 is authorized for purposes of preliminary investigation ancl administrative cooperation l,i[h the states. The federal government is not to spend more for these purposes in each state than the state itself appropriates, except for investigation. Participation of the siates in federal aid is clependent upon their having systems and practices of forest fire prevention and suppression, that are fairly efiective.

A special study of the relation of taxation to forest perpetuation ancl the drafting of favorable local taxation ia*i ir directecl. Other sections provide for cooperative l'ork in the distriltution of forest-tree seeds and plans to be used in reforestation or afforestation, $100,000 being authorized for tl-rat purPose.

Another $100,000 is authorized for cooperative work in aclvising and assisting farmers in establishing and keeping rrp rvoo<l lots, shelter belts, wind breaks, etc.

The Weeks' larv of March 1, 1911, is to be amended so that the Secretary of Agriculture may have authority to recommend to the National Forest Reservation Commission purchases of forested and cutover lands within the rvateriheds of navigable streams. The Secretary of Agriculture is also authorized to accept on behalf of the United States gifts of land for forestry purposes; and he is authorizecl to determine the location of public lands valuable for stream flow protection or timber production which can be economically idrninistered as parts of the national forests. Acting on such advice the National Forest Reservation Comrriission may recommend to the President to add such lands to existing. national forests. The President is authorized to establish as national forests or parts thereof any lands within government reservations other than national parks, monuments and Indian Reservations, rvhich in the opinion of the Secretary of Agriculture and the Secretary nbw administering such lands, are suitable for forest grolvrng.

Senator l\{cNary introduced the bill not so much as a firral expression of the judgment of the Select Committee as to get a generally acceptable definite proposal, before it as a rvorking basis. It is likely tl-rat the committee's report of the risults of its investigation will be submitted to ihe Senate at the same time that it reports the committee bill. Senator McNary said today that he believed that the Select Committee rvould report the bill out about the first of the year, and that it u'ould have an excellent prospect of passirrg both hotrses.

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