NATURE MAGAZINE FOR DECEMBER  1930 
 
 
Gulf of Mexico, this timber belt produces annually more 
than one billion, five hundred million board feet of pine 
and hardwood lumber and gives employment to some 
twenty-three thousand persons each year, while the pole 
and tie timber removed annually add another half bil- 
lion board feet to the yearly production. This production 
gives Texas a rank of sixth to eighth each year in the list 
of lumber-producing states, and maintains an industry 
that employs more wage earners than any other manufac- 
turing industry in the state. It is no small economic item. 
  A Si1UL,     t'hl  Af  Al~l 
 
 
thousand acres of virgin 
pine timber and approx- 
imately the same amount 
of virgin hardwood of 
commercial value     re- 
main out of the original 
commercial forest area 
of sixteen million acres. 
Good    second  growth 
pine is found on about 
three million five hun- 
dred thousand acres and 
there are some two mil- 
lion  acres of second 
growth hardwoods. 
These areas are already 
supplying a considerable 
portion of the present 
lumber   cut and    are 
growing the stock that 
will supply the total cut 
when all of the virgin 
timber is gone. There is 
an additional area of 
some three million acres 
that does not at present 
carry much, if any, sec- 
ond growth timber of 
 
 
value. This   area, in    FIGHTING FOREST FIRES-A , 
large part, must be re-                While not spectacuh 
forested by planting be- 
fore it will again produce commercial stands of timber. 
This brief survey indicates that on the whole, our 
forest resources have been harvested with little thought 
about the future of the land, although most of it is best 
adapted to timber growing. In this, however, Texas has 
done no differently than any other state in the South, 
North or East. It is gratifying to note that the situation 
is today undergoing a marked change. The growing de- 
pletion of timber supplies throughout the nation, to- 
gether with the present agricultural situation, and the 
realization on the part of practically all people that proper 
land utilization must be given more careful considera- 
tion, all these are creating more interest in the future of 
our timber resources. The first definite steps on the part 
of Texas lumber companies have been taken to per- 
petuate the source of their raw materials. Many of them 
are now cooperating in a financial way with the Texas 
 
 
Forest Service in fire protection, and four companies have 
begun experimental planting. 
  It was back in 1915 that Texas recognized its responsi- 
bility toward forest perpetuation and initiated state 
forestry activities. The legislature enacted a law author- 
izing the Board of Directors of the Agricultural and 
Mechanical College of Texas to appoint a State Forester, 
who under the general supervision of the Board should 
have direction of all forest interests and all matters per- 
taining to forestry within the jurisdiction of the State. 
                                UI!. 1 2.. 1-- vY nl Itisjwa 
 
 
  vLm tins aw as mue 
basis the Texas Forest 
Service has developed. 
I n c r e a s e d appropria- 
tions have been received 
from   each   legislature 
since the fundamental 
law was passed. The or- 
ganization has become 
one of the four major 
divisions of the Agri- 
cultural and Mechanical 
College devoting its en- 
tire time to developing 
forest fire  protection, 
forest education other 
than at the College, co- 
operative assistance to 
all forest owners, and 
forest research work. It 
was early found that the 
bulk   of the  cut-over 
lands   would   reforest 
naturally  if protected 
from fire. Hence, forest 
fire prevention and sup- 
pression have received 
major attention. As ap- 
propriations, experience, 
 
 
.JOR TASK                       and field personnel in- 
blazes cause enormous losses, and  creased, the area of land 
work concentrates on fire prevention  annually  burned  over 
 
has been reduced. During the past six years the area 
burned within the country covered by organized protec- 
tion has not exceeded five per cent annually. This record 
is looked upon with pride in view of the fact that avail- 
able funds for fire prevention and suppression work have 
never been more than one-sixth of the total considered 
necessary to give adequate protection. Within the past 
two years various protection units have been organized, 
with the principal land owners contributing one-half of 
the expenses. This system is being expanded as rapidly 
as possible, with the ultimate object of including prac- 
tically all of the timber land owners of East Texas. The 
manner in which various owners and agencies are going 
into this protection unit work is indicative of the change 
that is taking place in the minds of Texas timberland 
owners. 
   Some states own large areas of forest land that are 
 
 
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