PUBLIC ACQUISITION OR CONTROL? 325 



and the areas to be acquired in each region would be determined there- 

 from. In deciding upon these areas, due consideration would be given 

 to their value for protective purposes and to their relative situation and 

 extent as affecting an efficient administration of them, as well as to 

 their value for timber supply. The acquisition area having been 

 mapped out for each region, the Federal Government (or Federal Gov- 

 ernment and States acting conjointly) should then proceed to acquire 

 such land gradually during the acquisition period, exercising the right 

 of eminent domain whenever necessary. 



One alternative, however, should be granted the private owner whose 

 land should lie within an acquisition area. Any such owner who 

 should elect and should give satisfactory evidence of his sincerity to 

 manage his land in accordance with good forestry practice should be 

 allowed to retain it at least temporarily or so long as he lived up to his 

 agreement. For the owner (individual or company) to employ a pro- 

 fessional forester or staff of foresters and put the management of his 

 timberlands into their hands, would be strong prima facie evidence of 

 his good faith. The Government (National or State) would retain 

 the right of inspection, but the private timberland and operations 

 thereon would be handled by the owner's own forestry staff and not 

 by public foresters. I believe that is the only way in which private 

 timberlands should be permanently handled. If any timber lands 

 within a proposed acquisition area are withdrawn from the possibility 

 of public acquisition in this manner, additional areas may be added to it 

 until the total acreage fixed upon for acquisition in that region has been 

 acquired — or until (before that percentage has been acquired) all the 

 forest land in that region has either been included in the public acquisi- 

 tion area or put under private forest management. 



Two classes of land should be distinguished for acquisition — land 

 which shall have been cut over and land upon which merchantable 

 timber shall be standing at the beginning of the acquisition period. 

 The aim should be to acquire all or nearly all of the cut-over absolute 

 forest land in each region and reforest it as soon as possible. But the 

 public should not allow the remaining forest to be devastated before 

 acquiring it. Every owner of timberlands lying within the acquisition 

 area, who does not elect to retain the ownership of his land and put it 

 under forest management, should be given two choices as to the man- 

 ner of disposing of it. He may (1) sell his uncut land to the Govern- 

 ment at a price agreed upon by both parties, or (2) the owner will be 

 required to cut his timber at a date (or between certain dates) within 

 the period of acquisition, and must then cut it under public supervision, 

 the timber being marked by Government officials and slash to be dis- 

 posed of as required. Upon the completion of logging operations the 

 land would be turned over to public ownership at a price mutually 

 agreeed upon or set by the Government ; due compensation being made 

 to the private owner for the timber that was required to be left 

 standing. 



