IS FORESTRY JUSTIFIED? 



By W. N. SPARHAWK, Senior Forest Economist, and 

 S. B. SHOW, Regional Forester 



CONTENTS 



Page 



Current doubts exist 85 



What is forestry? '_ 88 



The direct values of forests 91 



Forests and forest industries are important elements in our economic 



structure 96 



Forestry and agriculture 97 



Forestry and employment 102 



Forests and community development 106 



Forestry and public finance 111 



Great expansion of forestry is justified 114 



CURRENT DOUBTS EXIST 



Many persons are viewing the forest situation in the United States 

 with varying degrees of doubt and questioning. The total of the 

 very considerable effort in forestry has nowhere fully solved the forest 

 problem. Previously developed means of action and the operation 

 of natural economic forces have not had the full beneficial effect that 

 was anticipated. Disappointment because no ready panacea has yet 

 been discovered, and a realization of the difficulties of the forestry 

 job, naturally lead to questioning as to whether the job can be done, 

 or is worth doing. 



Whether wood will continue to be a basic material need; whether 

 there is danger of producing too much of it ; whether it is worth while 

 to keep any part or all of the Nation's forest land productive; whether 



Erivate owners generally can afford to retain and manage their forest 

 inds; whether the public should help them to do this, or should rely 

 mainly on public forestry; whether the public treasuries can find the 

 money needed to help private owners and expand public forestry; 

 these and many other questions are acutely in the public mind. These 

 doubts and questionings are facts in the situation, and must be 

 faced. 



PROBLEMS OF PRIVATE FORESTRY 



Private owners of forest land have been and still are faced with 

 mounting costs of land ownership brought about by increasing local 

 taxation. Fire, insects, and disease continue to take or threaten to 

 take a heavy toll of timber values. The per capita consumption of 

 wood, and particularly of lumber, has declined and other products 

 have cut greatly into former demands for wood. Under the existing 

 system of unrestrained, competitive liquidation of forest values, the 

 returns in many instances are less than the amount that was invested. 

 It is perhaps natural, therefore, that the forest owner should view the 

 future with grave doubts, and question whether forestry is for him. 



85 



