362 JOURNAL OF FORESTRY 



the standpoint of protection of the slopes and of water resources that 

 they should be owned by the public. Private owners cannot handle 

 them properly, even under the most favorable conditions. There 

 are also large areas of cut-over lands that would render their best 

 service in public hands. Most of this land has been badly injured and 

 is now carrying but little forest growth of potential value. The public 

 should acquire large areas of such land and gradually restore it to 

 productive use. 



In view of the situation regarding cut-over non-agricultural lands 

 and the steps that must be taken to restore them, I am in favor of a 

 greatly enlarged program of acquisition on the part of the Federal 

 Government and the States. The Federal Government has been ac- 

 quiring cut-over and culled lands in the Southern Appalachians and 

 White Mountains at the. rate of about two million dollars per year 

 since 191 1, and the plan has worked out most successfully. Some of 

 the States, too, are engaged upon programs of acquisition. New York 

 State, with already a holding of nearly two million acres, has voted 

 bonds for $7,500,000 to be expended for this class of lands. Cities 

 also should undertake the acquisition of forest lands, especially those 

 tributary to their city watersheds. This policy should be pursued until 

 large areas of cut-over land, second-growth forest, and protective 

 forest have been restored to public ownership. These publicly owned 

 forests should be well distributed through all the forest regions. As 

 these areas are acquired they should be organized as municipal. State, 

 or National Forests. 



EARLY ACTION URGENT 



We may discuss these questions in meetings and conferences, and 

 accomplish little. We have the problems to solve, and we cannot con- 

 tinue to ignore them. I regard the industrial problems as very urgent. 

 Some action is inevitable in regard to the question of better forest 

 protection, of forest renewal and growth after logging. Public demand 

 for action is increasingly insistent. Now is the time, therefore, to 

 bring about action in accordance with broad constructive plans, rather 

 than by piecemeal legislation by different States, uncorrelated with 

 each other and with action of the Federal Government. 



I have taken it upon myself to ask for co-operation in laying the 

 groundwork for a national policy. I have already initiated a series 

 of conferences with forest agencies of the States and with representa- 

 tives of interested institutions and organizations. I hope that the 



