California 1Rovrn
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California 1rovrnm ent a n :rL: Published By STATE OF CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES DIvIsIoN OF FORESTRY Copies of this book may be obtained from: Printing Divi- sion, Documents Section, Seventh and Richards Boulevard, Sacramento, California. Price $6.24 including tax; postpaid Governor Director of Natural Resources EDMUND G. BROWN DEWITT NELSON CALIFORNIA GOVERNMENT and FORESTRY from Spanish Days until the creation of the Department of Natural Resources in 1927 By C. RAYMOND CLu F. H. RAYMOND, State Forester THE STATE BOARD OF FORESTRY WENDELL T. ROBIE, Chairman JOHN BAUMGARTNER, JR. E. DOMINGO HARDISON W. B. CARTER J. J. PRENOERGAS'r RUSSELL H ELLS KENNETH R. WALKER Published by -the DIVISION OF FORESTRY DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES STATE OF CALIFORNIA Sacramento, 1959 It always takes time to get the mind of a people accus- tomed to any change in conditions, and it took a long time to get the mind of our people, as a whole, accustomed to the fact that they had to alter their attitude toward the forests. The conservation of natural resources is the fundamental problem. Unless we solve that problem it will avail us little to solve all the others. To solve it, the whole Nation must undertake the task through their organizations and associa- tions, through the men whom they have made specially re- sponsible for the welfare of the several States, and finally through Congress and the Executive. PRESIDENT THEODORE ROOSEVELT Foreword The history of California, its resources, its people, its development, has been for many years an intriguing subject, not only to those who can claim to be part of it by right of nativity, but also to those who have migrated to this fertile land of opportunity. The romanticism of the Gold Rush, the challenge of empire-building and the struggle for water have received their share of attention in historical writings. Remaining for the most part untouched until this writing has been the story of forestry in its relationship to California Government. Its central theme involves the origin and development of laws and poli- cies pertaining to the conservativeuse and protection of the forest and other unsettled areas whichwe refer to collectively as wild land. The story is perhaps not so earthshaking as that of the Gold Rush but, we submit, the surface treatment of these lands has been of more importance in the building of the California of today, and its im- portance will increase during the future years. As histories go, California Government and Forestry coversa rela- tively short span of years, although itcommences before California became a State. Throughout this period therewere those who had selfish motives and those who had the public welfare in mind when they were shaping Federal or State legislation to control andmanage the State's forests and wild lands. And, ofcourse, there were others in high places who were indifferent toward the vital naturalresource problems of their day. Many of us are content to disregard the past and to accept "what is" as a sort of natural phenomenon, looking only forward for change and progress. California Government and Forestry brings tous with considerable impact the conclusion that the favorable status of for- estry today in California is the result of the vision and effort ofmany persons who passed from the scene before their work could bear fruit. From the fact that the philosophies andprograms of these pioneers in forestry influence our actions today stems thecause for starting this book. Recently a legislative interim committee asked for information about a certain policy that had been discarded fora decade. It was a most complicated policy and its backgroundwas lost in a maze of incomplete records. Fortunately, the author of this book was not only available to describe it, but was practically the only 111 person capable of bringing it to life again becausehe had worked on its original application. Research into this area of the past brought out the importance of knowing and understanding from whence comes the basic authorities under which government operatestoday. From this small beginning further historical research was encour- aged by William S. Rosecrans, then Chairman of the State Board of Forestry, a national leader in forestry matters, and himself a student of California history. Further encouragement to continue and expand the project came from many sources including DeWitt Nelson, Di- rector of the Department of Natural Resources, educators in the Forest School of the University of California, Federal and State forestry officials, and the Forest History Foundation, to name a few. This volume is brought to a conclusion upon the creation of the Division of Forestry for the principal reason that here ended the long and sometimes difficult period leading to the formation of a single firm forestry agency in State Government. The story there- after is rich in the drama of struggle and discouragement and ma- terial success. It is, however, largely the story of that one agency and its responses toward the economic, political and natural forces which began to grow in number and complexity during the 1920's, a fact which will be evident to the reader in the last chapters of this book. C. R. Clar is eminently qualified as an author for this comprehen- sive work. He was born "in the redwoods" of Sonoma County just after the last great trees of that area had been milled, many of them by his father. His grandparents were early California pioneers. After attending public schools of Sonoma County he was graduated from the University of California in 1927 with the degree of Bachelor of Science in Forestry. He was promptly hired by State Forester M. B. Pratt to constitute all of the "technical staff" of the loosely organ- ized "Board of Forestry" which at that very time was becoming the Division of Forestry in the new Department of Natural Resources. Although some of his friends questioned his good judgment in enter- ing upon this venture, they were much in error. The opportunities to "work up" in the organization came rapidly. From 1941 until 1953 he occupied the position of Chief Deputy State Forester, during a period of progressive and drastic alterations in State forestry opera- tions. From the latter date he has been Assistant Executive Officer for the State Board of Forestry. It was through such experiences (in lv which it was my own privilege to share throughout most of 30 years) that he obtained the foundation upon which his qualifications to write this book should be judged. He was often at hand when the forces which create law and policy were being shaped in high places. Such actions were prominent through the Depression years, after the attack on Pearl Harbor, and especially during the development of the basic forest fire protection system of the Division of Forestry, which is still commonly referred to as "The Clar Plan." The author has dealt with his subject here without bias or favor toward any of the parties: politicians, legislators, Governors, Boards of Forestry, or State Foresters. He has faithfully searched the records for the facts, believing as the historian Polybius so aptly put it, "Directly a man assumes the moral attitude of an historian he ought to forget all considerations, such as love of one's friends, hatred of one's enemies....He must sometimes praise enemies and blame friends... For ...if you take truth from History, what is left but an improfitable tale." We believe that it is an interesting story, in spite of the great mul- tiplicity of facts and facets embraced in its telling. And for those of us who are charged with the responsibility of guiding and performing the day to day operations of State Government in forestry affairs, this new-found knowledge of how and why we conduct ourselves as we do is of genuine practical benefit. We believe it will be of benefit to many others as well. F. H. RAYMOND State Forester V Acknowledgment Thousands of recorded incidents and personal opinions must be gathered to serve as the bricks and mortar in the construction of a work of this nature. From Olympia, Washington, to Washington, D. C., and from Yreka to San Diego the author's requests for infor- mation met with unfailing courtesy and often high enthusiasm. To the respondents, many of whom are known to this writer only by name, his sincere thanks are herewith extended. Among those who sought out information about forgotten events in sometimes strange places the writer is indebted to his associates within the State Division of Forestry at every level of this widespread organization. J. M. Dodge undertook the tedious and exacting task of compiling the index. And in other State offices the writer's requests were always courteously received and answered. Especially to be mentioned are the offices of the Attorney General, Secretary of State, Legislative Counsel, and Controller. Throughout the writing a serious attempt has been made to indi- cate the source of authority for every important event. Indeed, such a record is believed to constitute the valuable core of the work. Some of the helpful persons, but not all, will find their names or works set forth in admittedly cold and small type among the footnotes through- out the book. Please believe that the writer's gratitude is not so mean as such a technical acknowledgment appears to indicate. It is a practical impossibility to list by name all of those who have earned the author's gratitude. Yet the dimensions of that debt makes it incumbent upon the writer to set down a few names whose owners were kind enough to criticize all or portions of the manuscript.