SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry - Empire Forester Yearbook (Syracuse, NY)

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y l14l 0 ofzest ana ement HAROLD C. BELYEA ORESTRY in the United States is essentially a child of the twen- tieth century. lts real beginning, in lS9S, was under Gifford Pinchot in the reorganization of the Forestry Division of the U. S. Department of Agriculture. The first years of the present century were also marked by the offering of organized academic instruction in the schools, notably those started at Biltmore and Yale. Apart from the establishment and development of many outstanding schools, probably the most noteworthy accomplishment in forestry has been the encouraging results achieved by the profession in education, in collectingpertinent information and in stimulating the mental attitude of the American people toward the concepts of sustained forest management, forest fire protection and prevention. This excellent job has been done by public forestry agencies, notably the United States Forest Service. Many schools, however, have done rather intensive yeoman service. The main. 'contribution of these schools has been in the development of the multiple services that properly managed forests offer to the public, The value of this service is seen in the more or less general adoption of this approach by the American public. But we in forestry are not so much concerned with the events of the past as we are with the possible developments in the future. As we see them, they will probably occur within four general fields: forest appraisal, forest economics, forest administration and forest policy. Afvpraisal ln appraisal, with a growing familiarity and increase in the knowledge, techniques and materials of photogrammetry, the forester will more and more rely on photographic methods for mapping, cruis- ing and estimating. Economics Today there is a growing realization of the importance of economics as a factor in forest man- agement. Forestry, essentially, is as much a problem of land use and land economics as is agriculture. Future college generations of forestry will devote a great deal more time to the fundamentals of this important subject. ' Administration Witli a growing realization of the economic values in forest properties, there will be an increas- ing concern with their proper organization and administration. This will call for men skilled in all phases of administration but particularly in the administration and management of forest properties over long-time periods of ownership. gl! Policy Within the next few years a struggle concerning the degree of regulation which government can impose on private industry seems immi- nent in the United States. In no field will the strife be more bitter than in that area covered by forest industries. Al- ready the first lines are being drawn. How long will be the struggle and what will be the outcome, no man knows. The degree in which we agree that government can regulate cutting on private land de- pends, in the main, on how far the think- ing of the American public approaches to or veers from state socialism. By the year 2000 it will all have been decided. H Mr. Fedkiw, Mr. Stanton, Professor Graves, Professor Belyea, Professor Sammi, Professor Delavau.

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A review of the foregoing provision included in the original creating legislation of the College reveals very clearly that it was the intent of the founders that it operate on a broad education- al base and that all 'branches of forestry be appropriately and adequately covered. It is high- ly signifcant that within these broad objectives, our College has been operating during the past forty years. From these broad objectives and purposes, it appears to be obvious that it was also the in- tent of the founding fathers that our College of Forestry should become a relatively large one. In its first year Q191lj 52 students were enrolled. The second year the enrollment rose to l32, and within five years after its establishment, the student body increased to 277 students. liven at this early stage of development, the student enrollment exceeded that of any other forestry school in this country, and ever since then it has held this top position. 'Phe peak enrollment occurred in the school year 1948-49, when 875 full-time students were in attendance. This information on enrollment is presented here, not with the thought that bigness of and by itself has -any special merits, but rather that large student enrollment has progressed ac- cording to plan , and that the broad programs of forestry education offered by our college are operating entirely within the broad objectives and plans set forth in the original legisla- tion creating the College. To understand how our 'College is functioning today, and how it is moving forward to meet its enlarging responsibilities, it is important to realize that those who planned its establishment and develop- ment envisioned it as an institution adequately qualified to -offer broad and progressive programs of training in practically all the major fields of forestry, and also those fields that by some are re- garded as allied or even outside activities. Because of the numerous curricula offered, the wide range of activities in public education, and the extensive research program in operation, it is. readily understood that there are currently numerous fronts of action within the total development programs of our College. To dire-ct these numerous de- velopments properly, there has been in effect during recent years an almost continuous study and re- study of our college objectives, plans, functions and activities. Most of these studies are being car- ried forward by regular and special faculty committees, not infrequently assisted 'by students. Among the more active of these committees are those on College Planning , General Educationu, Undergrad- uate lnstruction , Graduate Studies , College Studies , and Summer Camp . lf I were 'asked what I regarded as the most significant recent developments on the rapidly ex- panding horizon of forestry educati-on at Syracuse, my answer would be a fuller realization that there is a human side to forestry, that a technological education irrespective of its extent and quality, is by itself grossly inadequate, and that a full education is a continuing process throughout life. We are beginning to realize more clearly than ever before that the all-important thing in pro- fessional education is not the subject to be presented but the student to be educated. To acquire tech- nical competence is an essential professional requirement, but 'of and -by itself it is not enough. A half century of experience has demonstrated clearly and abundantly that as a forester attains professional stature and rises in his chosen profession, he will deal more and more with people. It follows there- fore, that a broader and better aim of professional education in forestry is to equip students with the desire to go on learning after graduation and to continue growing in professional and personal stature, and to prepare themselves to take their place in the world as competent and responsible citizens. These are among the new educational aims of the New York State College of Forestry at Syra- cuse. Not all -of them have been attained as yet, but we are moving steadfastly and confidently in the direction of these broader and better objectives. There cannot be a high level of de- mocracy without a high level of education. And there cannot be a high level of living in America without a high level of profes- sional and public education in forestry. as Dean Illiclc, Dean Shirley, Professor Crossinan, Professor Belanger, Professor llluniley, Mr. Carroll.

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gflviculfufze SVEND O. HEIBERG .ll.VlCUI,TURli is the branch of forestry which deals with the establishment and the care of forests. Until a few decades ago silvicul- ' ture was a newcomer to the American continent. Today silvicultural principles are at least established within both public and private forestry, but many private forest owners, both large and small, are still somewhat skeptical as to the need and profitability of investing money and labor in growing crops of timber. Nevertheless the application of Silviculture is expanding at a tremendous rate. Many private companies that took few measures to increase growth or reproduction of desirable species ten years ago are today employing rather intensive measures and are investing considerable funds to insure future production of their forest areas. This increased application of technical principles provides an opportunity for the employment of more men trained in general forestry. Forestry is no longer concerned solely with the acquisition and protection of forest land, but also with the treatment of the forest for higher and more profitable pro- duction of forest products now and in the future. Along with the greater interest in applied silviculture comes a rapidly increasing need for basic knowledge, especially in forest ecology and forest economies. lt is not enough to know how to pro- duce a stand of trees regardless of cost, it must also be a stand that will serve the economic purpose for which it is to be established and it must be done in a manner so that the expected return is consider- ably greater than all the expenses involved. Research is therefore needed within these two basic silvicultural fields. So far, the greater em- phasis has been placed upon forest ecology. This should not be lessened. But it is of equal importance to have exact economic data on the various details of the logging operation as well as volume growth translated into value growth. Silviculture will not wholly be accepted until it clearly can justify itself on an economic basis. Another area of investigation that is of great importance for better silviculture, but as yet -hard- ly recognized and developed, is forest genetics. Agriculture and horticulture have long since started using genetics for economic purposes. The vast improvement in both quality and quantity of food crop yields is due primarily to genetical selection and hvbridization. Silviculture today is using the na- tive forest vegetation as it is without appreciating similar hybridization and selection possibilities with- in each species. The general objective to which silvicultural methods have been developed has been wood pro- duction. However, on many forest areas, there are other objectives of equal or greater importance. Recreational demands, production of the greatest sustained volume of potable wa- ter and the best environment and food for game are other objectives for which silvi- cultural methods have only been developed to a limited extent. Mr. Barrett, Mr. VVhite, Dr. Farnsworth, Pro- fessor I-Ieiberg. E151