RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED BY SEVENTH SOUTHERN FORESTRY CONGRESS 1. CLARK-MCNARY LAW: APPROPRIATION Whereas, the United States Congress in the passage of the Act of June 7th, 1924, known as the Clarke-McNary Law, has provided for a wide extension of Federal coöperation with the States, and has authorized yearly appropriations as follows: (1) $2,500,000 for the prevention and suppression of forest fires, and for studies of forest taxation and timber insurance, (2) $100,000 for the distribution of planting stock for reforestation of farm woodlands, and (3) $100,000 for assistance to farmers in the handling of their timber crops; and Whereas, the Federal Budget Bureau recommended for the next fiscal year an appropriation of only $660,000 under the first item and appropriations of $50,000 for each of the two remaining items, which recommendations have been approved by Congress, and are included in the recently passed Agricultural Appropriations Bill; and, Whereas, the sixteen member States of the Southern Forestry Congress are among the most important timber States in our country, but now contain more than one-third of the country's idle forest lands, though these can be converted into one of the greatest assets of the South and of the United States by protection and reforestation, which can best be encouraged through Federal aid authorized by the Clarke-McNary Law; but, for such purposes of restoration, the share of these States from annual appropriations of only the above amounts will be utterly inadequate; therefore, be it Resolved that the Seventh Southern Forestry Congress urges the immediate appropriation by the Federal Congress, at the opening of its next session, of deficiency items for the fiscal year 1925 to bring each of the two farm forestry sections up to the $100,000 authorized, and an item of $340,000 to bring the fire coöperation fund up to the minimum of $1,000,000 urgently recommended by the Senate Select Committee on Reforestation, and endorsed by the Agricultural Committee of the House, and that the appropriation for this purpose for the fiscal year 1926 be raised to $1,500,000, and the farm forestry items be each continued at the $100,000 basis authorized; and be it further Resolved that a copy of this resolution be sent to the PresiIdent of the United States, and to each member of the Senate and House appropriations sub-committees having charge of the Agricultural Appropriations Bill for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 1926, and to all members of the Congress of the United States from the sixteen States comprising the Southern Forestry Congress. 2. CLARKE-MCNARY LAW: LIMITATIONS Whereas, Sections Four and Five of the Act of June 7, 1924, known as the Clarke-McNary Law respectively limit the distribution of forest planting material, and assistance of handling of forest properties, to farm lands exclusively; and Whereas, there is a growing interest in the establishment of forests by counties and municipalities not only for timber production, but also for watershed protection; therefore, be it Resolved that the Southern Forestry Congress urges the amendment of Sections Four and Five of this law, so as to remove such limitations and extend the coöperation authorized to idle forest lands owned by counties and municipalities. 3. CLARKE-MCNARY LAW: CO-OPERATION Whereas, the Clarke-McNary Act was written, supported, and cast as a forestry law; therefore, be it Resolved that the Seventh Southern Forestry Congress urges that all Federal Funds made available for coöperation in forestry with the various States be expended as heretofore, through the regular State Forestry Departments where such exist. 4. ACQUISITION OF LANDS FOR NATIONAL FORESTS Whereas, the Congress of the United States in passing the Clarke-McNary Bill last session, has broadened the scope of the Weeks Law of 1911 and committed the government to a policy of purchasing lands for National Forests on the water-sheds of navigatable streams, and Whereas, the American Forestry Association has suggested a program for the consideration of Congress which involves the expenditure of $3,000,000 per year for five years and $5,000,000 per year for the succeeding five years for the purpose of establishing a system of National Forests in the eastern half of the United States; now therefore, be it Resolved that the Southern Forestry Congress endorses a program for the acquisition of lands for National Forest purposes under Section Six of the Clarke-McNary Law as outlined by the American Forestry Association, and embodied in the present McNary-Woodruff Bill. 5. FOREST SERVICE RESEARCH Whereas, we recognize that the safety of investments in forest raising cannot be assured without definite, detailed, and reliable information upon all phases, and that this can be satisfactorily secured only as a result of systematic forest investigtions such as are being carried on in the coastal pine region by the Southern Forest Experiment Station and the Appalachian Forest Experiment Station and generally by the Forest Products Laboratory; be it Resolved that we urge upon Federal and State Legislators, upon all State Forestry Departments, educational institutions, associations, and forest land owners in the States concerned, the necessity of enlarged facilities for forest investigations, particularly funds and coöperative participation in the work of the two Stations and of the Laboratory. Be it further resolved that copies of this resolution be brought to the attention of Federal and State Legislators of the Southern States. 6. STATE FORESTRY DEPARTMENTS Whereas, forest protection and the reforestation of idle lands can best be encouraged and stimulated through organized effort on the part of the public, represented by the States, in coöperation with the United States Forest Service; therefore, be it Resolved that the Southern Forestry Congress assembled in its Seventh Annual Meeting at Little Rock, Arkansas, urges the Southern States, which have not already taken such action, immediately to adopt a State forestry policy to include in the main : (1) A non-political State board or commission representing the forest and other interests which may be chiefly concerned to supervise the development of State forestry work under the immediate direction of a trained and competent Forester, (2) The establishment of a forest fire protective system, (3) Provisions for encouraging and inducing private participation in reforestation through coöperation with public agencies, and (4) Provisions for properly financing the State's forestry department and work. 7. APPRECIATION Resolved that the Seventh Annual Southern Forestry Congress hereby expresses its appreciation and thanks: To the Honorable Tom J. Terral, Governor of Arkansas for his cordial welcome to the members attending the Congress, and for his strong endorsement of its purposes: To the City of Little Rock, to the Press, Hotels, and Citizens for the many courtesies extended to the Congress and its Delegates during their stay in Little Rock: To our President J. S. Holmes, and our Secretary W. K. Williams for the splendid condition of this organization; to all who have contributed to its support, and to those who have presented the splendid papers, and participated in the dis cussions: To the Honorary Arkansas Forestry Commission, the Arkansas Soft Pine Bureau, and the Southern Pine Association for their helpful coöperation. To the Missouri Pacific Railroad, and to the Chamber of Commerce of Hot Springs, Arkansas. W. D. TYLER, Chairman. REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON PLACE TO THE SOUTHERN FORESTRY CONGRESS: Your Committee appointed to consider invitations for holding the 1926 annual meeting, and recommend the place of meeting, respect fully reports. The Committee had before it invitations from Alexandria, La., Asheville, N. C., Jacksonville, Fla., Richmond, Va., and Louisville, Ky. After careful consideration the Committee by a unanimous vote, recommends that the 1926 annual meeting be held in Richmond, Va. JAMES BOYD, for the Committee. The report was approved and Richmond, Va., was selected as the place where the eighth Southern Forestry Congress will be held. REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON NOMINATIONS The Nomination Committee, through the Chairman Mr. E. O. Siecke, presented the following names for officers of the Congress : For President: Mr. Horace L. Tilghman, President, Tilghman Lumber Co., and of the South Carolina Forestry Association, Sellers, S. C. For Vice-President: Dr. A. C. Millar, Secretary, Arkansas Honorary Forestry Commission, Little Rock. Ark. For Secretary-Treasurer: Mr. W. K. Williams, Forester, Crossett Lumber Company, Crossett, Ark. For Assistant Secretary: Mr. A. B. Hastings, Assistant State Forester, Charlottesville, Va. For Chairman Executive Committee: Mr. W. D. Tyler, Clinchfield Coal Corporation, Dante, Va. These gentlemen were then duly elected to fill these positions for the ensuing year. The Seventh Southern Forestry Congress then adjourned. |