LETTEKS OF TRANSMITTAL IX 



we have been placing main dependence is failing to meet national 

 needs, both despite a free hand and substantial if not adequate public 

 aid. Public aid to private owners has in fact been more than twice 

 the expenditures of private owners on their own lands. 



2. The lack of any reasonable assurance based on experience that 

 private ownership on the large proportion of the forest lands it now 

 holds can or will carry through the essential, constructive programs, 

 many of which must be of great size. These include placing ^an addi- 

 tional area of 191 million acres under fire protection and raising the 

 standards on much of the 321 million acres now under protection, 

 planting at least 25 million acres during the next 20 years, raising 

 the area under intensive forest management during the next few 

 decades to at least 70 million and preferably to 100 million acres, 

 and the area under extensive management to at least 279 million and 

 preferably to 339 million. 



3. The belief that a ^ greatly enlarged public ownership offers the 

 most effective solution in the public interest and that in the long run 

 it will be much more than self-liquidating in direct and indirect 

 returns. 



The Department therefore fully endorses the conclusions reached, 

 that public agencies should acquire 224 million acres of forest land, 

 including a part of the abandoned agricultural land now available, and 

 place it under forest management at the earliest possible date follow- 

 ing acquisition. A considerable part of this land has or will come 

 into public ownership anyway^ by reason of tax delinquency. The 

 States and their local subdivisions should take over as much of this 

 acquisition program as their resources permit. The Federal Govern- 

 ment should assume only that part which the States cannot carry. 

 It is believed that the resources of the States will be fully taxed to 

 acquire and manage 90 million acres, leaving 134 million for the 

 Federal Government. 



Although at first opposed, the national forest enterprise now has prac- 

 tically universal public approbation. I am convinced that the public 

 program recommended will command equal approval in the future, 

 and that the extension of the national and State forests recom- 

 mended is as important and as necessary as the creation of the 

 existing national and State forests. The Federal share of the pro- 

 posed program, including both acquisition and the management of 

 acquired and existing national forests, has, therefore, the unqualified 

 endorsement of the Department. 



So far as I can see, nothing can be gained and much will be lost 

 by delay. The contribution to our national land problem will be 

 very large, and it is a contribution which is more and more urgently 

 needed. There should be the opportunity for the large employment 

 of labor in constructive public works. The longer that forest devas- 

 tation and deterioration continue the higher will be the cost of forest 

 restoration. A high percentage of the initial costs are in the nature 

 of capital investments, for which low-interest long-term loans would 

 be justified. I strongly recommend, therefore, the earliest possible 

 action on the Federal part of the plan. 



The plan recommended goes as far as possible hi coordinating the 

 effort of all interested agencies. In the acquisition of land it is be- 

 lieved that the soundest principle will be for each public agency to 

 finance its own purchases and to acquire only what it can subse- 

 quently afford to manage. The part of the undertaking left to the 



