

THE FOREST-LAND RESOURCE 



Forest land constitutes the basic and most fundamental element 

 in the Nation's present and potential forest resources. In the first 

 section of this part of the report the extent and character of our forest 

 land are outlined by major forest regions and as to broad classes of 

 ownership. Here is emphasized the peculiar and highly important 

 multiple-use characteristic of forest land and the five major uses in- 

 volved timber production, watershed protection, recreation, pro- 

 duction of forage, and conservation of wild life. 



The second section considers the trends of agricultural land use 

 and the factors which affect them, and estimates the areas of aban- 

 doned and other agricultural land available for forest use both now 

 and as of 1950. It also sketches some of the social and economic 

 losses involved in agricultural abandonment. 



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