The Encyclopedia Americana (1920)/Forestry Associations

FORESTRY ASSOCIATIONS. In 1875 The American Forestry Association was formed at Chicago with the object of collecting and disseminating information on forestry and of fostering the conservation of the existing forests. This association was merged in 1882, into the American Forestry Congress, which became at once nationally influential in promoting the cause of forestry. In 1889 the original name was resumed. During the early years of its existence, the Association relied on annual reports, occasional bulletins, and the general press for the publication of information about forestry; but in 1897 it took over from the New Jersey Forestry Association the publication of the periodical The Forester, changing the title later to Forestry and Irrigation, Conservation, and, finally, American Forestry. American Forestry appears monthly and is one of the best forest periodicals in existence. The Association now has about 10,000 members, and is very active and influential in educating public sentiment and in shaping forestry legislation. Minnesota and Pennsylvania forestry associations were organized in 1876 and 1886, respectively; and for some years the latter's magazine Forest Leaves was the official organ of the American Forestry Association. Many State and local associations carry on similar work in various parts of the country. The Society of American Foresters, organized in 1900, is a professional society whose active membership is composed entirely of technically trained foresters of achievement. Its meetings and publications have contributed a great deal toward the solution of the forest problems of America. Under its auspices is published The Journal of Forestry, which was called until 1917 The Proceedings of the Society of American Foresters. Another class of associations of great importance in the preservation of the forest is the fire protective associations organized by timber owners in many States. Most of these are local in character; one State possesses 16 of them; in all, 43 have been formed in 13 States. In the Far West these protective associations are combined under one large organization, the Western Forestry and Conservation Association. They are in general a direct result of the work of the Government Forest Service, and side by side with it have been a powerful factor in bringing Federal, State, and private protective agencies together in close co-operation, in educating the public regarding the value of fire protection, and in shaping legislation for the reduction of the fire loss.