nless we do change these, all our efforts in the past 3 ought.

HURCH. Thank you, Mrs. Milner.

erstand you to say that you had come around to end rvice position on the Magruder Corridor?

ER. No, you did not.

HURCH. There are two witnesses who have asked m em because they have special problems catching pla nderstand that. And I will try and accommodate th o I want to mention that the other witnesses, Mr. Willi xecutive vice president of the American Forestry Assoc pected to testify personally, but he has decided to file d it will appear in the record at this point as though re

OF WILLIAM E. TOWELL, EXECUTIVE VICE PRES NT, THE AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION

Mr. Chairman and members of the subcommittee, I a Cowell, executive vice president of the American Forest I am a trained forester with nearly 33 years of profe ence, serving as administrative head of the oldest an try conservation organization in the world, with 85,00 a history dating back to 1875. My appearance before th › is not in defense of past public land management mi be critical of present Federal forest cutting practices, bu p find understanding and reasonable middle ground solu re forest management problems.

I will defend vigorously the role of professional forester ecisions pertaining to our public forests and try to ex e management of forest lands and resources must be lef of trained professionals. At this point in my statement n, I would like to insert into the record a recent editoria our Association magazine, American Forests, entitled cuttle Professional Forestry." In this editorial, I point out

mistakes in the public view. To a great ext being found guilty for past crimes which outlawed. Perhaps this is an oversimplifica that equally unacceptable past practices a everywhere. Municipal and industrial water cides, air pollution, land drainage, stream construction and antihunting sentiments ar all could name many more.

Clear-cutting is an essential tool in the ma In itself, it is neither good nor bad. Necessa used at other times. But, only the professio decision as to when it is required. Clear-cuttin for controlling certain diseases or insect in reliable way of regenerating certain forest the surest way of perpetuating the forest tractive landscape. To rule out clear-cutti the forester of one of his most useful tools.

Clear-cutting can and has been misused a problem. Certain fragile timber sites, such forests, should never have been cut. Steep s erosion, should not have been left unprotecte not have been excessively large or plainly esthetics are important. Proper size, spa pattern can make clear-cuts more acceptable tive cutting. We cannot judge the method b not deny that poor judgment has been exerc uations, but neither can we outlaw clear-cu our forests to even greater evils.

The alternative may be worse than clear-cu for example, was a common malpractice in m before they were acquired as public lands, 1 deformed, low-producing timber stands. H good for timber or recreation, although they cally. Clear-cutting has been the only way forests to productivity. It is far preferable

e forester not only can duplicate nature, but can even the slow, accidental process by which some of our d forests have grown. This is the professionalism w co trained forestry personnel.

shes and rights need to be considered, too, and these must be heard and heeded. On public forests the pe road policies under which their forest lands are to ey will do so through their elected officials, through p or through the groundswell of public opinion, such as eing today in this very controversy. The public, in the l ke the policies under which Federal forests are to be h , this is being done right now. In West Virginia citiz maller clear-cuts and more accent on other multiple u xactly what they are getting. But it is significant, I thi me citizens did not demand the abolition of clear-cutti t is a useful tool in the right place. Similarly, citizens n other localities in the Nation. But, the execution of the es must be by professional foresters.

y management decisions cannot be made through t 1 processes will help chart future courses, but they ca e managerial role. If professionals responsible for carr ic policy do not perform to acceptable public standard replaced. But, untrained, nontechnical people, no matt cannot fill the role of the professional forester.

contribution to this hearing on public lands managemen n, I wish to report on the activities of a committee whic ny privilege to chair during the past year. When the il r Supply bill was so violently opposed last spring tha even be brought to the floor of the House of Representa rote, many were concerned about the growing polariza the forest industry which supported this bill and th forces which helped defeat it. The American Forestry basically a conservation group but also a friend of wise re et out to find areas of agreement between these two op 5. We invited a committee composed equally of forest in

1. All programs on the national forests needs of the American public are to be me 2. We support a balanced program for t uses and needs are financed equally at t optimum level.

3. We have agreed to go as a group bef Appropriations Committees jointly supp Forest Service "full opportunity" budget siderably increased over the administratio as to provide better balance and increased

uses.

4. We will also support a 10-year progra activities up to an optimum level.

5. Such group action for full funding do zation or individual to endorsement of all 1 policies, but rather each will be free to expr qualifications or specific programs if they ex

Such combined action is a breakthrough, lead to great progress for conservation on alleviate the need for any more timber sup tend to further divide these forces who have Such combined action will also go far in all ings such as this one which results from lac standing. It is my hope, Mr. Chairman, and me, that differences between resource us conservation groups can be resolved peace court decisions and legislative actions which this end, the American Forestry Associat efforts.

Senator CHURCH. Also we have receiv Kenneth B. Pomeroy, of "Trees for Peopl statement appear in the record as though rea

ey should be managed in ways that еnnаnсе hеr ты at the same time reserving to their owners freedor management objectives.

example, taken from my own experience will clarify

of World War II private landowners in tidewater tern North Carolina appealed to the research branc ervice to find practical methods of regenerating lobl ature forests were harvested, aggressive species of wo d vines took over the land. The problem was assigne iculturists of which I happened to be a member. that loblolly pine did not produce seed crops every y of reasons. Prolonged wet weather in early spring mi cion. Or a severe cold snap might freeze the flowers. developed satisfactorily, many of them might be infes during the year and one-half it took them to mature. -re favorable the seeds might still fall on exposed pla and rodents could eat them. Finally, even when the se nd took root, competing vegetation might smother gs. Consequently, securing an acceptable stand of loblo ction following harvest cutting was the exception rath regardless of how many seed trees were left. The lar not even wait for a better seed crop a year or two lat at time shrubs and vines would have claimed the s This sequence occurred time and time again with t untless acres became tax burdens for their owners. ch team found that the best way to keep southern pi uously productive was to remove all of the mature tre I of competing vegetation, prepare the soil and plant rable weather occurred. Within two growing seasons of young pines would clothe the land again. This tech being applied successfully on thousands upon thousand e Coastal Plain from the Eastern Shore of Maryland

e I am attempting to convey is two-fold:

st owners determine objectives of management essional forests supply the skills to attain the objectives.