62 A NATIONAL PLAN FOR AMERICAN FORESTRY 



Enlargement of existing forms of aid will be worth while. New 

 forms will be suggested which should be helpful. These are recom- 

 mended, however, under the second alternative of obtaining better 

 results on a much smaller area of private lands. 



RECOMMENDED PUBLIC AID 



Public aid may take the form of Federal and State and other public 

 aid to private owners, or of aid from one public agency to another. 

 The former wih 1 be given first consideration. 



Undoubtedly there are definite limitations beyond which such aid 

 cannot go without becoming outright subsidy and exceeding the 

 public obligation and interest. It should not be carried into the pork- 

 barrel category. The recommendations recognize these limitations 

 as well as the factors justifying enlargement. 



Protection against fire should as rapidly as possible be extended 

 over forest lands now unprotected, amounting to at least 191 million 

 acres. Standards should be raised over practically the entire country 

 but chiefly in the South. To meet both the objectives on private and 

 State ]ands, expenditures must ultimately be increased to about 

 $20,000,000, .as contrasted with $7,221,000 in 1931. A large part of 

 the increase, from $900,000 to $11,000,000, is in the South. Because 

 of the size of the increase in the South an intermediate southern 

 objective of $6,000,000 has been recognized. 



The ultimate Federal contribution in this program should be about 

 $5,000,000. The amount of the State contribution will vary between 

 75 and 35 percent in individual cases, depending upon what is obtained 

 from private owners. 



For a general forest-insect detection and control system and for 

 special control operations on private lands public expenditures of 

 approximately $2,450,000 annually will be required, of which the 

 Federal Government and the States should carry about equal parts. 

 Private owners must contribute an indeterminate amount for actual 

 control operations, depending upon such factors as the merchant- 

 ability of trees cut. 



For protection against very serious insect and disease epidemics 

 no estimates can be made. Because of their infrequent occurrence 

 and interstate or international character, emergency forces can best 

 be directed by Federal agencies. The proper contribution of Fed- 

 eral, State, and private agencies will necessarily have to depend 

 upon the conditions in each case. 



The public contribution needed for a control service for both 

 advisory and control work on forest diseases on private lands is esti- 

 mated at about $1,410,000 annually, with the Federal Government 

 and the States sharing about equally. 



Planting stock should be made available at about one-half cost to 

 all industrial and farm owners. The annual Federal contribution, 

 now $79,960, need not exceed $350,000 and would be used for assist- 

 ance in the establishment of new and the expansion of existing 

 nurseries and the enlargement of technical staffs. The State con- 

 tribution need not be larger. 



In connection with a greatly enlarged planting program, provision 

 is necessary for the certification of forest tree seed as to source and 

 for seed testing. It need not cost more than $50,000 and should be 

 handled by the central government. 



