Pennsylvania. As a result, Wisconsin has
nearly 400,000 acres of state forest land, Minnesota, about
330,000, and Michigan, about 200,000 acres. South Dakota, with a
relatively small area of forest land, has set aside 80,000 acres
for state forest. A number of other states have initiated a
policy of acquiring state forest lands, notably, New Hampshire,
Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, New Jersey, Maryland, and
Indiana, each with small areas, but likely to be greatly
increased within the next few years under the development of
present policies. Other states are falling in line with this
forward movement. There are but 4,237,587 acres in state forests
in the United States. This is only 1-1/2 per cent. of the
cut-over and denuded land in the country which is useful only for
tree production. The lack of funds prevents many states from
embarking more extensively in this work. Many states set aside
only a few thousand a year; others, that are more progressive and
realize the need of forestry extension, spend annually from one
hundred thousand to five hundred thousand dollars. Foresters are,
generally, agreed that as much as 25 per cent. of the forest land
of every state should be publicly owned for producing large sized
timber, requiring seventy-five to one hundred years to grow, and
which the private owner would not be interested in producing.
National, state, or communal forests must supply it. All of these
combined comprise a very small part of the forests of most of the
states, so that much larger areas must be acquired by the states
and the national government to safeguard our future timber
supplies.

Not less than thirty-two states are actually engaged in state
forestry work. Many of them have well-organized forestry
departments, which, in states like New York and Pennsylvania,
having large areas of state forests, are devoted largely to the
care and protection of these lands. In other states having no
state forests, the work is largely educational in character.

The most notable progress in forestry has been made in fire
protection. All states having forestry departments lay especial
emphasis upon forest protection, since it is recognized that only
by protecting the forests from fire is it possible to succeed in
growing timber crops. In fact, in most cases, the prevention of
fire in itself is sufficient to insure re-growth and productive
forests. Pennsylvania is spending $500,000 annually in protecting
her fore