COMMERCIAL FORESTRY AND THE 
COMMUNITY 
MERICAN business is on the threshold of a new industry— 
A Commercial Forestry—the business of growing crops of 
trees by private enterprise. It will in time represent a 
forest investment of many billions of dollars. 
It is peculiarly within the province of the National Chamber, 
the advocate of private enterprise in industry, to direct attention 
to the importance of this new industry which will rest primarily 
on private initiative. 
After a thorough study, a committee of the National Cham- 
ber agreed that the task of developing forests to assure ample 
supplies of wood products for the Nation is one for private enter- 
prise, and this principle was approved by the Chamber's member- 
ship in Referendum No. 42 on a National Forestry Policy. 
The committee stated that the extensive national forests on 
which the government is growing crops of trees can supply only 
a small part of our forest requirements; and that in strict harmony 
with American principles of government and business by far the 
greater part of the future industry of growing forest trees should 
se carried on by private initiative as a private business. 
The purpose of this pamphlet is to show the value of coms 
mercial forestry, both to the Nation and to local communities, 
what progress it has made to date, the nature of the obstacles to 
be overcome, its possibilities, and the aid that has been and can 
be rendered by chambers of commerce and trade associations 
throughout the Nation. 
W. DuB. Brookings, Manager, 
Natural Resources Production Department. 
December 1, 1926.