Walter J. Perry (‒) worked at many jobs—most notably mining and in Mexico—before finding his “real life’s work” in the U.S. Forest Service. After joining the Forest Service in  at age , he served on four national forests in New Mexico and Oregon as a forest ranger and timber manager until he retired in . As a , these excerpts from his  memoir published by Wilderness Associates in  attest, he was both philosopher and humorist. Perry’s timber management philosophy, shared with the many young graduate he “broke in” on the job, carries an enduring ethical message.

THE MAN WITH THE MARKING

BY WALTER J. PERRY (Edited by Les Joslin)

he farther I went in the bet- put across to the young men working can get to the trees, if he is either lazy or Tter I liked it. Also, it appeared to me with me, but never in the form of cut and physically unfit for hard work, or if he does then, and still does, that I was holding a dried “lessons” or “lectures.” not avoid lost motion in getting around to job of top-notch responsibility and his timber. importance—proper management of a The key to successful implementation timber sale area. Certainly, I thought, the of a timber sale in the ponderosa pine Perry’s experiences as a timber sale chief function of the Forest Service was forests Perry worked was “marking” manager added another dimension to to protect, improve, and conserve forest each and every tree to be cut. this personal and professional work resources, and chiefly the dwindling tim- ethic. His paper on tree marking and ber supply. Also, I was then, and am still, Marking consists first of selecting the log scaling, published in the April , convinced that a man can as timber sale trees to leave standing, and calls for intel- , Southwestern District (Region manager do more per square acre, per ligent weighing of many factors, such as days work, or anyway you figure it, to maturity and health or thrift of the tim- promote true forest conservation than ber, liability to windthrow following cut- he could in any other position. ting, necessity for seed trees, insects, etc. I believed that a man in charge of a tim- In short, it calls for all the knowledge and ber sale must know why this or that experience a man can bring to bear on it— should be done—and then to it that way; and then some. Much of this knowledge that he should be able to visualize how his can be acquired nowhere but in the sale area would look fifty years hence, woods, and then only under the spur of when it would stand before future great interest. foresters and the public to praise or damn The mechanical part of marking con- his judgment; that he must be able to rise sists simply of striking a clean-surfaced above the handicap of continually think- bark blaze at breast or shoulder height with ing “I wonder if this would get by the a keen-bladed special and stamp- inspector?” or “The marking rules say so- ing on this with the head of the hatchet and-so for this sort of place—or do they?” the letters “U.S.” This operation is repeat- when no set of rules could be put on ed on the base of the tree below stump paper that would adequately cover all the height. Whether a man is fast at this job, ever changing conditions and circum- which may be a big and time-consuming PERRY COLLECTION COURTESY OF WALT stances. In short, if he could not become job on a large sale, depends upon several Lumberman (as forest rangers and timber his own, and most critical, inspector, then things. He will be slow unless his judgment managers were sometimes called at the time) he was not ready to be turned loose in the is such as to enable him to weigh all the Walt Perry cruising timber on the Carson woods on his own. These ideas I tried to factors and make his decision as fast as he National Forest, New Mexico in June .

FOREST HISTORY TODAY | FALL 2000 29 since ) daily bulletin, set what results of any special care or effort you trees, and in my sale letter tooted a cou- District Forester Paul G. Redington may put into your labor, or that your spe- ple of toots about it. The next month called “a standard worthy of emulation cial endeavors in that next line may be off- some guy over in Arizona came back at on the part of others” that was “wor- set by the carelessness or ignorance of the us, intimating that we on the Carson were thy of quoting.” next man. Your grandson, or his son, will in the kindergarten class. Said he had mark this tract next time—and do a bet- stepped out and marked over ,, giving Probably the first essential in a man ter job of it—being possessed of a more the date and quoting book, chapter, and who would do credible work in marking complete knowledge. And remember that verse. Huh! That would never do! I is a deep-felt interest in the forest as such— in the entire range of Forest Service out- marked some , trees and invited him a love for it. A monthly pay check—no door activities, there is no other class of to shoot at that! matter how large—cannot buy this kind work of more engrossing interest, more Instead, the Office of Forest Manage- of interest. The man must have brought wholesome, or more elevating. It is entire- ment at Albuquerque shot—and how! I it with him to his first assignment. If it is ly worthy of your steel. It’s a man’s job. don’t remember the exact wording, but well rooted, in deep soil, it will endure. Go to it. what it meant was: “What the Hell! What Flanking this essential interest should be do you guys think you’re doing, just run- a knowledge of the subject—the more And “go to it” Perry did, to the extent ning a race to see who can make the most complete the better—but an education he became well known both for his skill blazes on trees or marking timber?” That without the interest is of little value, it will as a forester and his speed as a marker ended the battle of the marking —in die of disuse. On the other hand, a man …both for his sense of responsibility so far as our newsletters were concerned. imbued with the proper spirit will acquire and his sense of humor. Later a “gyppo” logger showed up on the essential knowledge by observation the job suddenly and I had to start him in and study and apply it to his work. At that time each forest in the District on a separate an unmarked area. Also, The man who, after a few months or a that had operating timber sales issued winter was coming on, and there were a year or so in the timber, reaches the con- monthly a mimeographed sheet known few inches of slushy show on the ground clusion that he has cornered all the infor- as a Sales Letter, and these were exchanged and more falling. The first day I marked mation worth while; shuts up shop and between forests. The idea was to foster , trees in  hours and  minutes. It so looks no further, then and there ceases to an esprit de corps among men in this happened that [Carson National Forest] grow; he thereby admits either his inabil- work, give them a chance to blow off Supervisor [Earl W.] Loveridge [later assis- ity or unwillingness to learn; he will soon steam occasionally, and facilitate the tant chief of the Forest Service for admin- find himself overtopped. exchange of ideas. The sales men did the istrative management and information] As a timber marker, remember that writing.… and an inspector came over before this there is no other class of field work which One district…set, among other stan- timber was cut, and after they had looked it is more important should be done cor- dards, a standard day’s marking as  over the area and found nothing to criti- rectly than yours. Right or wrong, your trees. This figure was ridiculously low. cize, I told Loveridge. He just grinned and work stands for the next half-century or Well, some guy, sometime, someplace, said, “All right. All right—but don’t let so at least. Do not be discouraged by the had boasted that he had marked , trees Albuquerque hear about it!” thought that you will not see the ultimate in a single day. One day I marked , Albuquerque was right, of course. The first consideration was the quality rather than the quantity of work done—only I knew darned well that I marked no tree until sure I wanted that tree cut.

Les Joslin, a retired U.S. Navy commander and former U.S. Forest Service firefighter. He lives in Bend, Oregon, where he advises and teach- es college students, serves summers in the Three Sisters Wilderness, and writes on the National Forest System heritage.

Editor’s Note: Walt Perry: An Early-Day Forest Ranger in New Mexico and Oregon (ISBN ---), edited by Les Joslin ( pages,  historic photographs) and published in , is available from the publisher, Wilderness Associates, P.O. Box

COURTESY OF WALT PERRY COLLECTION COURTESY OF WALT , Bend, Oregon , /-, for Evan Worth Hadley (left), Walt Perry’s assistant scaler, and junior foresters Gillet and . postpaid. Cottham with log scaling tape and .

30 FOREST HISTORY TODAY | FALL 2000