State of NeMli Ha,mpsnire B]ENNIAL ltEPO!ltT. @FTRE F@r@stzy fJ'@mmission F©R 'Ill'IE Two fis�al Years Ending June 30, 1928 --,,.: DEDICATION EXERCISES FRANCONIA NOTCH, SEPTEMBER 15, 1928. Photo by Shorey Stttdio State of New Hampshire BIENNIAL REPORT OF THE Forestry Commission For the Two Fiscal Years Ending June 30, 1928 CONCORD December, 1928 /' l'RlNfJW llY GRANITE STATE PRESS, Manchester, N. H. BOUND BY THE CRAGG BINDERY, CONCORD, N. H. CONTENTS Page REPORT 7 Statement to the Governor and Council ................ 7 OPERATING EXPENSES AND STUMPAGE VALUES OF WHITE PINE IN SOUTHERN NEW HAMPSHIRE 22 Log Trucking in New Hampshire ..................... .. 24 FOREST TAXATION ................................... 26 What the Problem is ................................... 26 History of Efforts to Remedy Forest Tax Situation .... 29 Investigation by the Forestry Department .............. 32 Table-Acreage and Value of Woodlands in Six N. H. Towns, by Classes and Principal Species .... 34 Various Proposed Methods of Relief .................. 36 Exemption Below Fixed Diameter Limits ............ 37 Exemption of a Certain Initial Volume in Board Feet or Cords ........................................... 37 A Tax on Annual Increment or Growth ............. 38 Tax on Capitalized Increment ...................... 38 Tax on Yield When Timber is Cut .................... 39 Extension of the Present Classification Law .......... 4Q Some Tax Laws of Other States ...................... 41 AMENDMENTS TO THE FOREST LAWS IN 1927 .... 43 FOREST FIRE PROTECTION ........................... 46 Review of Forest Fire Conditions ..... , ................ 46 Table-Forest Fire Record for Nineteen Years ..... 48 Fire Seasons of 1927 and 1928 ......................... 48 Table-Number of Fires by Months ............... 50 Table-Fire Record for Fiscal Years 1927 and 1928 .. 51 Table-Railroad Fire Record for Fiscal Years 1927 and 1928 ......................................... 52 Table-Total Number of Forest Fires, Area and Damage by Causes ............................... 52 Table-Combined Forest Fire Record .............. 32 Lookout Construction and Improvement ............... , 53 Table-Lookout Stations .......................... 58 Forest Fire Fighting Equipment ....................... 61 Railroad Forest Fire Protection ........................ 63 4 REPORT OF FORESTRY COMMISSION Page Patrol .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 63 Portable Saw Mills .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 64 Forest Fires in New Hampshire, 1921-1925 . .. .. .. 66 Introduction . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 68 Land Area, Population, and Forest Area of State .. .. 69 Table 1-Land Area and Population of New Hamp- shire . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 71 Table 2-Forest Area of New Hampshire . .. .. 71 Summary of Five-Year Record .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 73 Table 3-Number of Fires, Area Burned, Value of Timber Destroyed, and Cost of Fire Suppression, 1921-1925 . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. i4 Table 4--Number of Fires, Area Burned, Value of Timber Destroyed, and Cost of Fire Suppression by Groups of Counties, 1921-1925 . .. .. .. .. 74 Number of Fires . .75 . Area Burned . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 81 Size of Average Fire .... .. .. .... .. .... .... .. .. .. 84 Value of Timber Destroyed . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 88 Table-Value of Timber Destroyed . .. 91 Cost of Fire Suppression . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 93 Table-Cost of Fire Suppression . .. .. .. .. 95 Kind of Forest Burned . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 97 Fires by Size Classes . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 97 Number of Fire Fighters .. .... ... .. .... .... ... .. ... 98 Table 5-Number of Fires, Area B'urned, Value of Timber Destroyed, and Cost of Suppression per year by Area Groups, 1921-1925 .. .. .. .. .. .. 99 Season of Occurrence of Fires . .. .. .. .. .. 100 Hour of Occurrence of Fires . .. .. .. .. 106 Causes of Fires . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 107 Table 6-N umber of Fires, Area Burned, and Size of Average Fire by Causes, 1921-1925 . .. .. .. .. 109 Conclusion ·........................................... 111 PUBLIC FORESTS .............................. : .. .. 113 Semi-Public Forests . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 114 White Mountain National Forest . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 114 State Forests and Reservations . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 119 Table-Sfate Forests and Reservations Acquired in 1927 and 1928 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 121 Franconia Notch .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 122 Poole Gift .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 128 REPORT OF FORESTRY COMMISSION 5 Page Cardigan Mountain Additions .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 129 Honey Brook Additions . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 129 Dodge Brook Additions . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 130 :i\.ferrimack River .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 131 Hubbard Hill .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 132 Connecticut River . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 132 Belknap Mountain . .. .. .. .. .. .. 133 Gift of Timber on Welton Falls Tract . .. .. .. .. 133 Table-Total State Forests and Reservations .. .. 135 Improvements on State Lands .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 136 Crawford Notch Improvements . .. .. .. .. .. .. 137 Town Forests . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 141 Table-List of Town Forests . .. .. .. .. .. .. 143 Danvi]]e .................................·............ 144 Winchester . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 146 Twin Bridges-1Ierrimack . .. .. .. .. .. .. 147 Dewey Woods-Sunapee .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 149 Swanzey . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 149 \Voodstock . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 150 Lempster . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 151 The College Woods-Durham ... .. .. .. .. .. ... .. ... 152 Dartmouth College Grants .................... :. .. .. 154 The Yale Demonstration and Research Forest . .. .. .. 157 ACTIVITIES OF THE SOCIETY FOR PROTECTION OF NEW HAMPSHIRE FORESTS, 1927-1928 . .. .. .. .. .. 160 Acquisition of Franconia Notch . .... .. ... .... .... .. .. 160 Addition of Waterville Valley to the White Mountain National Forest . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 161 Purchases on Mount Monadnock . .. .. .. .. .. .. 163 Purchases About Sunapee . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 165 Forestry in Summer Camps . .. .. .. .. .. 165 Encouragement to Boys in their Home Woodlands .. 165 Roadside Forest Reservation . .. .. .. .. .. 165 REFORESTATION-STATE FOREST NURSERY ....... 168 Table-Nursery· Output; Fall 1926-Spring 1927 . .. .. 171 Table-Nursery Output; Fall 1927-Spring 1928 .. 171 Value of Nursing S't:ock Produced . .. ... .... .. ... .. .. 172 Free Trees Furnished to Towns, 1928 . .. .. .. .. 172 Planting on State Land . .. ... .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... .. 172 Table-Planting on State Land ................. :. 174 Selec!, Average and Cull Nursery Stock in Forest Planting 174 6 REPORT OF FORESTRY COMMISSION Page Table-Comparative Growth Experiment with Select, Average and Cull Trees . ... .. .. .. .. ... .. .. 175 Unplowed vs. Furrow Planting . .. .. .. .. .. .. 176 Pruning for Clear Lumber .. .. .. .. .. .. 176 WHITE PINE BLISTER RUST CONTROL . .. .. .. 179 Review of Control Measures .. .. .. .. .. .. 179 Co-operative Control Work in 1927 .. .. .. .. 180 Co-operative Control Work in 1928 . .. .. 181 Summary of Control Work in 1918-1928 . .. .. .. .. .. 181 The Present Situation . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 182 Control Measures by Private Owners .... , ........... , . 183 Control Measures on Public Lands .. .. .. .. 183 Necessity for Re-eradication ............. , .. .. .. .. 184 Compulsory Appropriations by Towns ... , .. .. 185 Future Policy of Federal Government .......... , .. .. 186 REPORT OF THE LUMBER CUT .. .. .. .. .. ... .. .. ... 187 Table-Lumber cut by Species, not Including Pulp­ wood, 1925, 1926 and 1927 .... ... .... .. .. ... 188 TOWN TREE WARDENS ............................... 189 FORESTRY EXTENSION . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 191 Farm Forestry . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 191 Forestry Extension in Coos and Grafton Counties . .. 193 The Christmas Tree Industry . ... ... ... ... ... .. .. .... 194 STATE APPROPRIATION ITEMS ..................... 199 APPENDIX ............................................... 200 Addresses at the Dedication of Franconia Notch, Sept. 15, 1928 .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 200 Portable Saw Mills Registered in 1927 and 1928 . .. .. .. 214 Wood Using Industries, Stationary Saw Mills and Retail Lumber Dealers . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 221 REPORT T() His Excellency the Governor and the Honorable Council: The Forestry Commission herewith presents its report for the two fiscal years ending June 30, 1928. Present Conditions ,and Taxation. It is apparent that changes are taking place in economic conditions relating to the production and utilization of timber. Decrease in the demand for native pine boxboards and the steadily increas­ ing use of lumber products from the Pacific Northwest and elsewhere reported in detail two and four years ago, are having their effect in depreciating local forest values and declining forest industries. It is estimated there has been a shrinkage of perhaps $10,000,000 in forest values in New Hampshire during the last five to eight years. Operating costs have increased sufficiently to offset the higher prices received for boxboards and stumpage values of low grade pine are actually lower than before the war. The tax burden serious as it has apparently been in the past is increased with present lower­ ing values. The lumber cut of New Hampshire h as dropped from nearly 248 million in 1925 to 212 million in 1926 and 202 million in 1927. There has been a decrease in the total number of operators