Mountaineers and Rangers : a History of Federal Forest Management in The
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Chapter VI World War II Through the Fifties: From FDR to JFK World War II marked the beginning of major economic and jobs in mining and lumbering reopened and new industries demographic changes in the Southern Appalachians. The were established close to the mountains. Although emergency wartime boom was temporary, and afterward the Depression New Deal programs were gradually phased out, the popular returned. Many people left to find work elsewhere; rural farm and effective CCC lasted until war came to America, and the population declined dramatically between 1940 and 1960. Tennessee Valley Authority continued to provide construction Meanwhile, Federal land acquisition nearly stopped as national and related employment through the war years. priorities shifted. The Forest Service had to cope with a major increase in demand for outdoor recreation and balance that Heavy Demand for Timber demand with other forest uses and needs. Although problems Demands on the Nation's timber resource were heavy. Wood of National Forest management in the Southern Appalachians was needed to build bridges, barracks, ships, aircraft, and during the 1950's occurred in apparent calm, the region's above all packing crates for shipping supplies overseas. Vital poverty remained, and the potential conflicts among forest uses wood products were cellulose for explosives, wood plastic, which were to receive national attention in the 1960's had rosin, and glycerol. Wood was classified as a critical material already appeared. by the War Production Board. Although the heaviest demand With the outbreak of war in Europe in September 1939, new for wood fell on the Douglas-fir forests of the West and the and increasing demands were placed on the Nation's coastal southern yellow pines, the hardwoods and conifers of manpower and natural resources, demands that accelerated the southern mountains were also needed. 2 when this country entered the war in December 1941. Wartime The wartime demand for timber increased sales from production and mobilization revitalized the Depression-worn National Forests throughout the South — from 94.2 billion national economy. By 1944 half the country was engaged in board feet in 1939 to 245.3 billion in 1943. 3 High war demands war-related production, and full employment had returned. 1 led to heavy cutting, especially of such desirable hardwoods as The Southern Appalachians experienced a good share of redgum and yellow- (tulip) poplar. There was a strong market wartime changes as coal and timber prices began to rise. Old even for previously unwanted "limby old field pines and inferior hardwoods." The total cut was still less than half of Figure 77. —Crew with crosscut saw and double-bit axe checking large mature the estimated overall timber growth there, however. This was white pine marked for harvest for the Appalachian Forest Products mill near true because the forests all contained considerable second- Clayton, Rabun County, Ga., on Chattahoochee National Forest, July 1941. The growth timber which, although growing rapidly, was still not mill was the first to be operated on a sustained-yield basis in North Georgia and 4 depended on the Forest for most of its timber. (Forest Service photo F-414090) mature enough for harvesting. Reflecting Forest Service policy, and the generally scattered and small volume available, about 90 percent of the timber was disposed of in sales of less than $500 each. The supervisor of the Cumberland (since renamed Daniel Boone) National Forest related in 1941: . one mountain inhabitant purchased sufficient timber in small lots to make 1,200 railroad ties. He hired help to cut the timber; hewed the ties himself; skidded them to the roadside with his own mule; hired trucking of his product to the point of acceptance. He cleared about $600 on his operations. He has 14 children. This $600 was probably more money than the family had seen in the last eight years. 5 Such sales were intended to take care of the little man, but they also made timber sale supervision and coordination harder. As the war went on, forest administration became more difficult. Many men had been drafted or had enlisted. Figure 78. — Crew using peavies to roll a huge yellow-poplar log down to loading Thus, timber stand improvement work, as well as cleanup and platform on Chattahoochee National Forest, July 1941. (Forest Service photo 6 road repair work after timber sales, were not being done. An F-414105) assessment of the situation in Region 8 in 1943 stated that "in general, standards of performance are poorer," largely because Figure 79. —Lumber crew rolling yellow-poplar logs from skidway platform to of our best are in the forces and have truck on Chattahoochee National Forest, July 1941. (Forest Service photo "many men armed had F-414107) to be replaced with poorer ones." 7 i ,-ffl — — < 96 Even a large outfit that had been logging in the region since development of heavy-duty trucks and the "duckbill" coal 1900 felt the pinch. When the supervisor of the Chattahoochee loader helped reduce the need for manpower, a trend that National Forest asked the Gennett Lumber Co. in September accelerated. 15 1944 why it had left logs in an area, an agent responded: Depression-born attempts to diversify the economy of the coal-producing regions were wiped out by the demand of the ... we had not intended to abandon any scaled logs wartime boom. As Caudill describes it: that are on Cynth Creek ... we were forced to move over to so could get to Owl Creek we men operate. The The whole attention of the area's population fastened labor situation got so critical on Creek that Cynth we again on coal. The blossoming farmers among whom 8 things going. could not keep County Agricultural Agents had worked so hard discarded seed sowers and lime spreaders for picks and Since this forced the Forest Service to scale the area twice, a shovels. The small but growing herds of pure-bred penalty was considered. The supervisor explained, "At a time livestock were turned into pork and beef. 16 when we are short of men and pushed to get the job done, the 9 leaving of incompleted areas is costly to both you and us." The same could be said for efforts to develop the timber As discussed earlier, land acquisition had been a major resources of the coal counties. Early in the war the last stands activity before the war. As late as 1937, it was felt that "the of "virgin" hardwood forest in Kentucky were cut. Only in the extension of government ownership in areas of low production cutover lands purchased for the new Cumberland National and high watershed values as in the mountainous . sections Forest was any thought given to creating a sustained-yield 10 [of Region 8] is unquestionably desirable." However, Weeks forest that could provide a continued wood-using industry in Act funds dropped dramatically, from $3 million or more per the area. year to $354,210 in 1943, $100,000 in 1944, $75,000 in 1945, 11 and nothing at all in fiscal year 1946. Figure 80.— Ranger Edgar F. Wolcott, Wythe District, Jefferson National Forest, However, land exchanges continued briskly through the war Va., talking with a local farmer in July 1958. (Forest Service photo F-487235) period. Desirable inholdings and adjacent lands were acquired in exchange for timber from Forest Service lands, with emphasis on facilitating sustained-yield management, experimental forests, and administrative economy. 12 One problem, which was to become of increasing significance later, first appears in reports from war years. This was the decline in personal contact between National Forest officers, especially district rangers, and the people living on or near the forests. A 1943 forest inspection report observed that, because of the volume work, "they (the rangers) know the bankers, members of service clubs, etc., but the lesser lights living on the forest are neglected." 13 Rangers already had less of what oldtimers on the Cherokee refer to as "spit-and-whittle time." Mountain people prefer those who are not in a hurry to 14 do business, but will "set a spell," and visit. Fortunately, a reservoir of goodwill between the Forest Service and mountaineers had been build up during the Depression, chiefly through the CCC. Only after the war would a lessening of such personal contacts lead to friction. Coal Mining Revived In addition to demands for timber, the war brought huge orders for coal, giving the few mining companies that had survived the Depression a new lease on life. As demand grew, new companies were formed, and by 1942 it was boom time again in Southern Appalachian coal country. Miners returned to the delapidated company towns, and new housing was hastily constructed. Old men, youngsters below draft age, and those with serious health problems were accepted for mine work. The military had swept up the cream of mountain youth, fortunately for many of them. However, the 97 The benefits of the wartime boom, however, should not be were granted, and the action would thus be in direct violation exaggerated. As L. E. Perry, a former general ranger district of the stated purposes of the Weeks Act, which authorized the assistant and fire control officer for the Forest Service on the National Forest land purchases. In addition, he noted that a forest, has written of the impact, of the wartime economy on dangerous precedent would be set for National Forests McCreary County, Ky.: throughout the East where mineral rights had been reserved. It was estimated by the Forest Service that 2,000 linear miles of The coal and lumber industry was vigorous in strip-mining in the old Stearns tract could result from approval McCreary County but there was an exodus of the of the request.