A NATIONAL PLAN FOR AMERICAN FORESTRY 47 



larly between the East and West, should be watched to prevent 

 native or introduced diseases prevalent in one region from becoming 

 established in another. 



The annual cost to public agencies of the program outlined 

 is estimated at approximately $3,750,000. The largest item is 

 $2,000,000 for white pine blister rust on the national forests which 

 would be reduced to $300,000 after 5 years. As in the case of insects, 

 special provision would be necessary for serious epidemics. 



HOW TO STOP FOREST DEVASTATION 



The fact that more than 60 million acres of forest land in the 

 United States are already devastated fully justifies drastic action to 

 prevent any increase. Even though the estimated further devasta- 

 tion of 850,000 acres each year may possibly be fully offset by the 

 return of an equal area to productivity, the years of delay in the return 

 and its high cost constitute whatever further justification may be 

 needed for a program of preventive measures. 



The major cause of forest devastation is fire and usually fire follow- 

 ing cutting. The fire protection program outlined would alone go 

 far toward stopping further devastation in most forest regions. It 

 would also permit the gradual reforestation through natural process 

 of much of the area already devastated. 



Other measures needed on the greater part of the 9} million acres 

 now cut over annually without any conscious regard to the future 

 of the forest are : 



1. Preservation of young seedling growth already on the ground 

 at the time of logging, or of the seed-bearing trees needed to reforest 

 the land after logging. 



2. Slash disposal by some form of controlled burning or other means 

 on all areas where it constitutes a serious threat of destructive fires. 

 Partial disposal may be one satisfactory alternative; special protec- 

 tion of cut-over land until the slash hazard is reduced is another. 



3. In a comparatively few forest regions prevention or at least the 

 careful control of grazing on reproducing areas will be necessary. 



Aside from general fire protection, in the cost of which the public 

 shares, these measures are not expensive. 



Frequently the necessary seed trees can be cut only at a loss. 

 Slash disposal will often more than justify itself from the standpoint 

 of protecting remaining stands of timber. In many cases measures 

 going considerably beyond those required to prevent forest devasta- 

 tion will be found to increase immediate profits rather than to reduce 

 them. In fact in more cases than are realized forest lands can 

 probably be devastated only at an immediate financial loss. 



The total cost for the entire country, other than general fire protec- 

 tion, for stopping forest devastation, is estimated at not to exceed 

 $6,000,000. If the full facts were available, the balance would 

 probably be found to be on the other side of the ledger and in a much 

 larger sum. 



EXTENSIVE FOREST MANAGEMENT 



Extensive forest management lies between the measures necessary 

 to stop forest devastation and intensive forest management. 



The data at hand do not permit an accurate determination of how 

 much forest land in the United States now qualifies under this classi- 



