In view of its vital and obvious importance, I sincerely urge favorable consideration of this legislation, and approval of the full amount of the proposed authorizations to carry out the program. Hon. WALTER K. GRANGER, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Washington, D. C., February 23, 1949. Chairman, Subcommittee No. 3, House Committee on Agriculture, House Office Building, Washington 25, D. C. MY DEAR Mr. CHAIRMAN: I connection with the hearing to be held at 10 a. m. Thursday, February 24, by your subcommittee on the subject of forestry bills, I wish to present the enclosed letters for consideration: 1. Mr. Chester S. Wilson, State commissioner of conservation, St. Paul, Minn. 2. Mr. Clarence Prout, director, division of forestry, State department of conservation, St. Paul, Minn. You will note that the writers of both of these letters favor your bill, H. R. 2296. In view of my interest in forestry legislation of particular benefit to my State, I urge that these letters be given special consideration. Very sincerely yours, Hon. WALTER H. JUDD, WALTER H. JUDD. STATE OF MINNESOTA, House of Representatives, Washington, D. C. DEAR DR. JUDD: I understand that the Granger bill, H. R. 2296, providing for Federal cooperation and financial aid to the States for forest-tree planting, farmforestry extension service, and technical service to private timberland owners and processors, will come up for hearing shortly before Subcommittee No. 3 of the House Agriculture Committee. We are developing these activities in Minnesota as part of our all-round forest conservation program, and regard them as of great importance. Any assistance that might be made available through passage of the Granger bill or other legislation would be a most effective contribution to forestry progress in this State. We, therefore, urge that you and all the other members of the Minnesota delegation at Washington do all you can to promote this legislation. Thanking you for your efforts, I am, Sincerely yours, CHESTER S. WILSON, Commissioner of Conservation. STATE OF MINNESOTA, DIVISION OF FORESTRY, St. Paul, Minn., February 17, 1949. DEAR MR. JUDD: I am advised that the date for hearings on the so-called Granger bill (H. R. 2296) has been set for 10 a. m. February 24, before the Agriculture Subcommittee No. 3. We are very anxious that the bill covering amendments to the Clarke-McNary law be passed, and will appreciate your support. We believe that the provisions of the Clarke-McNary Act are very sound. As you know, the act provides that the moneys appropriated under it are assigned to the various States with forestry problems, augmenting the State appropriations, and are expended in the same manner as are the State appropriations. The passage of the Granger bill would most certainly aid Minnesota in solving some of its foresty problems. I hope that the committee will give it favorable action, and I would appreciate very much your aid in obtaining its support. Yours very truly, CLARENCE PROUT, Director, Division of Forestry. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, COMMITTEE ON MERCHANT MARINE AND FISHERIES, Hon. WALTER K. GRANGER, Committee on Agriculture, House of Representatives, Washington, D. C. DEAR COLLEAGUE: Enclosed herewith, I send you copy of letter which I have received from Hon. Wm. A. Wright, director, Department of Conservation and Development, Virginia Conservation Commission, with reference to H. R. 2296. I wish to strongly endorse the views set forth in Senator Wright's letter, and I regret that, because of prior engagements, it will not be possible for me to attend the hearing on February 24. For the reasons stated by Senator Wright, I hope that the undesirable portion of the bill to which he refers may be deleted from the bill. Yours very sincerely, S. O. BLAND. Hon. S. OTIS BLAND, VIRGINIA CONSERVATION COMMISSION, House of Representatives, Washington, D. C. DEAR CONGRESSMAN BLAND: As you know, the department of conservation and development is vitally interested in a full timber crop from the 15,000,000 acres (6 out of every 10 acres) of forest land in Virginia; it is now less than one-half of full crop. The State program of forest-fire prevention and suppression, reforestation of idle, gullied, and abandoned lands, and the cutting of timber in accordance with forestry methods, is making much progress. But, since our national welfare is dependent upon our natural resources, I feel we should receive some further assistance from the Federal Government to hasten this program. To make this assistance available, Congressman Granger, of Utah, Chairman of Agriculture Subcommittee No. 3, has introduced bill H. P 2296. A hearing will be held on this bill before the Subcommittee on Agriculture No. 3 in its committee room at 10 a. m., Thursday, February 24. I shall deeply appreciate your appearing before this committee in support of this bill with the exception noted below, or, if you cannot personally appear, make your wishes known by written statement to Congressman Granger. It is my understanding that Congressman Sikes of Florida is organizing the testimony before the committee, and you may wish to advise him of your desire to appear briefly before the committee. The exception or portion of the bill which we in the department feel is not sound appears on page 3, lines 17 to 25; this would permit an outright nonmatched grant of funds to the State, which is manifestly undesirable. We believe all funds made available should be on a matching basis. We wish you would emphasize this undesirable point to the committee. We strongly feel that an outright grant gives the Federal departments too much control over our State affairs. Your active support of this bill, with the deletion of the undesirable feature noted above, will be deeply appreciated. It is possible that State Forester George W. Dean will communicate further with you on this important matter. Sincerely yours, WILLIAM A. WRIGHT, Director, Department of Conservation and Development. Fort McCoy, Fla., February 22, 1949. Congressman WALTER J. GRAnger, Chairman, Washington, D. C. DEAR CONGRESSMAN GRANGER: Please do all possible in favor of the two bills on forestry, H. R. 2296 and H. R. 2001. We are certified forest farmers, holding certificate No. 7 in our State, and have been practicing fire protection and forestry since 1936. Thanking you for anything you can do in our favor. Yours very truly, MARION TURPENTINE CO., By RUFUS SMITH, President. Hon. WALTER K. GRANGER, Minong, Wis., February 22, 1949. House of Representatives, Washington, D. C. DEAR CONGRESSMAN GRANGER: I should like to make known my support for H. R. 2001, the bill which would authorize an increase in the national forest survey. As you no doubt are aware, the forest survey now going forward under the Forest Service is an extremely valuable activity, the data from which is constantly useful to the timber-products industry. As I understand the situation, hearings before your committee begin very shortly. I am certain that you will find this very worth-while activity should warrant your earnest consideration. Thank you in advance for your interest, I am, Very truly yours, CHARLES H. STODDARD. CONSERVATION FEDERATION OF MISSOURI, Hon. WALTER K. GRANGER, February 22, 1949. Chairman, Committee on Agriculture, Washington, D. C. DEAR MR. GRANGER: The Conservation Federation of Missouri and allied organizations represented in the membership of the State-Wide Forestry Committee are greatly concerned over the forest situation in Missouri. Not only is the income to forest-land owners from the sale of timber products involved, but also a substantial wood-using industry is dependent on the production of Missouri's forests. There are two measures now before your committee which, if passed, would greatly benefit future forestry development in this State. One is H. R. 2296, which would increase the authorization for appropriations for Federal-State cooperation in fire control and farm forestry, under the Clarke-McNary Act and companion laws. Approximately 161⁄2 million acres of Missouri-one-third the total area of the State is forest land. We have a good State forestry program now in operation in cooperation with private landowners, under which organized fire control is extended to some 6,000,000 acres, but 5,000,000 other acres in need of fire protection is receiving no assistance whatever. The State, however, is becoming acutely forestry-conscious, and each of the last three sessions of the State legislature has increased the State allotment for forestry purposes. The current legislature is expected to provide another increase for the next biennium. Missouri is ready, therefore, to make efficient use of additional Federal funds as they become available, and these funds are sorely needed It has been reliably estimated that Missouri's vast timberlands are producing only one-fifth the income they should be yielding, because of annual fires, mismanagement, and general negligence. The other measure which we are interested in seeing passed is H. R. 2001. As you know, some years ago the United States Forest Service, through Federal appropriations made available under section IX of the act of May 22, 1928, as amended (45 Stat. 699, 702; 58 Stat. 265; 16 U. S. C. 581 h), made a forest survey of Missouri, which indicated the average stand of timber was the lowest of any State in the eastern half of the United States. We in Missouri are eager to take the steps recommended by the United States Forest Service to increase the timber growth. We must, however, have some means of measuring our progress, and this can be done only by maintaining certain studies, such as the current yearly timber cut, and ultimately by a resurvey of the forest. H. R. 2001 authorizes a total appropriation of Federal funds to complete the initial survey not to exceed $11,000,000, and additionally authorizes an appropriation not to exceed $1,500,000 annually to keep the survey current. We should like, therefore, to urge your committee's consideration of and support for both H. R. 2296 and H. R. 2001, as both are essential to the future progress and development of forestry in Missouri. Very sincerely yours, EDWARD M. STAYTON, Chairman, State-Wide Forestry Committee. Hon. WALTER K. GRANGER, HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, Washington, D. C., February 17, 1949. House of Representatives, Washington, D. C. Dear ColleagUE: I am authorized by Mr. Ralph F. Wilcox, State forester of the State of Indiana, to inform you that he, in his official capacity, and the Purdue University Agriculture and Extension Service interests are squarely behind and urge passage of H. R. 2296, providing more forest seedlings for farm windbreaks, erosion control, wildlife and timber production, as well as forestfire protection, and H. R. 2001, providing for a national forest survey. I wish to add my personal endorsement to the purposes of these measures and urge their passage. Mr. Wilcox points out that our expenditures in Indiana greatly exceed Federal participation, notwithstanding the fact that forest resources are as much of Federal as of State concern. Most sincerely yours, ANDREW JACOBS. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SUBCOMMITTEE OF THE HOUSE COMMITTEE ON AGRICULTURE, GENTLEMEN OF THE COMMITTEE: I had planned to prepare a statement for the record in support of H. R. 2296; but, before I could assemble the necessary data and information, I received a letter from the Honorable Henry Ward, commissioner, State department of conservation, Frankfort, Ky., in which he explains far better than I could do just what the enactment of H. R. 2296 means to forestry and forestry development in Kentucky. With your kind permission, I quote below the letter which I received from Commissioner Ward under date of February 18: "H. R. 2296, which amends the Clarke-McNary law, is most important to Kentucky. As you We are "The first section of the bill seeks to increase the authorization and appropriations for cooperative fire protection on State and private forest lands. know, Kentucky has 11,258,000 acres of State and private forest land. trying to expand organized fire protection to all private land, but at present 7,935,000 acres are without it. In 1948, 261,000 acres burned in unprotected areas. "Section 2 of the Clarke-McNary law originally intended to pay half the cost of protection on State and private lands, but it actually falls far short of doing so. Kentucky will receive this fiscal year from the Government $88,343 for this purpose, which is only 38 percent of our total fire budget. Beginning July 1, the area under protection will increase by 25 percent (750,000 acres). Yet, if the congressional appropriation remains at $9,000,000, our Federal allotment will be reduced next fiscal year by $5,000 to $10,000. Only by increasing the Federal appropriation can Kentucky get a more equitable share of the Federal allotment. "Section 2 of the bill would amend section 4 of the Clarke-McNary law which pertains to reforestation of wasteland by increasing the authorization and appropriation and by making the law apply to all private lands instead of limiting it to farm lands. Kentucky has about 11⁄2 million acres of wasteland which produce nothing now but can produce at least 100,000,000 board feet of timber per year if planted to trees. At our present rate of nursery production, it will take 1,000 years to reforest this area. For this activity we have budgeted $27,869 this year, of which only $2,600 will be furnished by the Government. Last year, 52 percent of our nursery production was planted by nonfarmers; so we feel that the law should be applicable to all private lands. "Section 3 of the bill amends section 5 of the Clarke-McNary Act. This section pertains to the forestry educational work of the State extension services of the land-grant colleges. The proposed amendment would expand the forestry educational work of the Extension Service, which in turn should facilitate the work of the State forestry divisions on all fronts. "Section 4 of the bill adds a new section (10) to the Clarke-McNary law. It seeks to provide a means of bringing private forest land under sound management by providing foresters to give technical guidance. Under the present NorrisDoxey law, Kentucky has five farm foresters giving technical guidance to farmers. It is estimated that 26 are needed to do the job properly. Here, again, Federal aid is needed to properly finance the job." Gentlemen, I sincerely urge that H. R. 2296 be favorably reported. FRANK L. CHELF, M. C. STATEMENT SUBMITTED BY HON. WINFIELD K. DENTON, MEMBER OF CONGRESS EIGHTH DISTRICT, INDIANA I wish to submit a brief statement to the Granger subcommittee of the House Agriculture Committee in support of H. R. 2296. Most people think of Indiana as a purely agriculture State but we have 3.3 million acres of forest land that supports 842 sawmills and 217 other wood industries which give employment to 30,000 people. There is a serious need to acquire even more land-land which is not producing wealth through crops and pasturesand convert that land into forests because for every five trees cut in Indiana only three are being replaced. The State forester is cooperating with the Federal Government in buying and managing out State forests and nurseries. It also provides fire protection, administers the Forest Tax Classification Act which provides for the declassification of land stripped by coal operators. It also does a great deal of research and demonstration work for Indiana's 136,000 small woodland owners. At the present time, the division of forestry in Indiana is operating on a yearly budget of $386,000. It has been conservatively estimated that the annual cost of a proper forest program in the State would require nearly three times that amount. Purdue University is actively engaged in a forestry research and education program; however, it is operating on a yearly budget of $78,300 which is only a little more than one-third of its estimated requirements. The State of Indiana is severely handicapped by this lack of funds. The enactment of H. R. 2296 would greatly assist my State and the authorized agencies charged with Indiana forestry problems in carrying out their duties. There is a serious need, not only to protect our wood industries and the $45,000,000 pay roll these industries produce each year, but for a well-planned, long-range forestry program that would include adequate fire protection, windbreaks, erosion control, soil stabilization, and the protection of our reservoirs and our wildlife. I would like to be among those advocating full support of this legislation. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, COMMITTEE ON MERCHANT MARINE AND FISHERIES, Hon. WALTER K. GRANGER, Chairman, Subcommittee No. 3, Committee on Agriculture, House of Representatives, Washington, D. C. DEAR COLLEAGUE: I wish to advise you of my support of H. R. 2001, to amend section 9 of the act of May 22, 1928, as amended, authorizing and directing a national survey of forest resources, and also H. R. 2296 with the exception of certain portions referred to in the letter of Hon. William A. Wright, as to which I have written you a separate letter today. I understand both these bills are important to timberland owners and are endorsed by them. I hope they may be favorably reported. Yours very sincerely, S. O. BLAND. Mr. GRANGER. The committee will stand adjourned. |