A NATIONAL PLAN FOE AMERICAN FORESTRY 5 



Indirectly the annual Federal-aid road contribution, which reached 

 nearly $135,000,000 in 1931, has had important but not measurable 

 value in improving transportation facilities for forest products, and 

 hence in creating more favorable conditions for timber growing. 



The main results of Federal financial aid have been 



The stimulation of State effort. It has been an important factor 

 in the establishment of 12 State forestry departments, the initiation 

 of fire protection of private land in 17 States, the enlargement of the 

 protected area of State and private lands by nearly four times, the 

 initiation of nursery stock distribution in at least 12 States, of farm 

 wood-lot extension in 33 States and 2 territories. State expenditures 

 for aid have increased from possibly $500,000 in 1911 to nearly 

 $5,500,000 in 1932. 



The stimulation of private effort. Private expenditures for organ- 

 ized fire protection have grown from about $55,000 to $1,000,000 

 between 1911 and 1932. Private owners probably supplement the 

 organized effort with the expenditure of an additional $300,000. 

 The expansion in other phases of private effort have probably not 

 been in the same proportion. 



RESEARCH 



Forest research in the Department of Agriculture is based upon 

 the Federal responsibility for work on national, interstate, or regional, 

 and international problems, and also local problems where the ad- 

 ministration of Federally owned or managed forests is involved. It 

 has important aid aspects. 



A national plan designed to meet these Federal obligations has 

 resulted in the establishment and concentration of the work largely 

 at a series of regional forest experiment stations and a national 

 forest products laboratory. 



Practically the entire field of forestry is being covered, including the 

 establishment, growing,- and management of forests ; their protection 

 against fire, insects, and diseases ; the management and utilization of 

 forest ranges ; erosion control and stream-flow regulation ; the utiliza- 

 tion of forest products; forest wild life; and forest economics. A 

 scientific basis for the practice of forestry and the economic basis for 

 national and regional forest land planning adapted to American 

 species, conditions, and requirements are gradually being developed. 



Expenditures for 1932 total about $3,000,000. 



THE STATE CONTRIBUTION 

 STATE ORGANIZATIONS 



Forty-two States now have legal provision for work in forestry and 

 in all but five an organization has been set up. This marks progress 

 since the beginning by California, New York, Ohio, and Colorado 

 in 1885. 



Great differences in regional conditions and problems, in the 

 aggressiveness of leaders and opponents, in public opinion and the 

 attitude of the press, have caused State activities to vary within wide 

 limits and except for Federal leadership the variation would have 

 been much greater. 



