928 JOURNAL OF FORESTRY 



the return to forest of lands now unprofitably used in farming or 

 otherwise, but it is very improbable that we shall have, at the end of 

 the next 50 years, as much as 400 million acres which are actually 

 producing new and merchantable timber at the rate of 300 feet per 

 acre per year. This area and rate, if we could attain them, would 

 provide a total annual supply of but 120 billion feet, or an excess 

 over present consumption of only 20 per cent. But in 50 years our 

 population will probably double. It is obvious that only the most 

 immediate, comprehensive, and effective action can, by any chance, 

 insure to the Nation anything like a safe or adequate timber supply. 



ACTION REQUIRED TO FORESTALL TIMBER FAMINE AND MAKE GOOD TIMBER DEFICIT 



(a) The action of first and highest importance is to stop forest 

 devastation, so as to keep our remaining forests growing trees. 



This will require legislation. In order to assure the same treatment 

 to all owners of forests in the various States and forest regions, and 

 in order to prevent long continued delay, which would be fatal to the 

 safety and prosperity of the Nation, the essential legislation must be 

 Federal rather than State. 



(b) Action which will maintain and increase the growth of forests 

 now only partially productive comes next. 



Not only must the devastation of the "second-growth" forests be 

 prevented, but they must be so handled as to restore at least some part 

 of their original productive power. Legislation to such ends must be, 

 in the main, and for similar reasons. Federal rather than State, but 

 State legislation will still be highly important, especially in dealing with 

 fire and taxes. 



(c) Finally, vast areas, once forested but now mere idle wastes, 

 must be brought back into bearing. 



This work should be undertaken promptly and upon a very large 

 scale. To this end both Federal and State legislation will be required. 

 These are the three great forest tasks before us. 

 The essentials of the required legislation have been formulated. 



FOREST DEVASTATION 

 FOREST DEVASTATION AND THE NATIONAL DEFENSE 



The experience of the war proved in conclusive fashion the need 

 for great quantities of forest products easily accessible. The devasta- 

 tion of our forests and the scant supplies of many of our most neces- 

 sary kinds of lumber created situations which were difificult to the 

 point of being desperate. Ship timbers were billed across the conti- 



