A NATIONAL PLAN FOR AMKKICAN FORESTRY 149 



economic and social conditions. The best information now available 

 appears to indicate that so far as the relation between forest and 

 agricultural use is concerned, the national trend is likely to continue 

 from agricultural to forest use for a good many years. 



The section, "Agricultural Land Available for Forestry," discusses 

 the relation between agriculture and forest use and the resulting 

 trends in considerable detail. It is sufficient here to note that about 

 52 million acres of land once or still considered as agricultural, and 

 not included in the present forest-land acreages previously presented 

 in this report, is no longer needed for agriculture and may be con- 

 sidered as available for forest use. This acreage is made up as follows : 



Acres 



Abandoned agricultural land 26, 000, 000 



One half of the 1930 Bureau of the Census estimate of the idle and 



fallow agriculture land 11, 000, 000 



One half of the unforested and unplowable pasture land 15, 000, 000 



Total 52, 000, 000 



This 52 million acres, occurring as it does in the East and within the 

 territories once cleared for agriculture, may, for practical purposes, 

 be considered as commercial forest land, if and when forested. Be- 

 cause of its location, it would be very valuable for protection, for 

 which use some minor areas might need to be set aside exclusively. 

 Generally speaking, its site quality would make it very desirable for 

 timber production, probably somewhat more so than the average cut- 

 over and nonrestocking land now included in the commercial forest- 

 land category. 



A further possible adolition to forest-land acreage is found in cer- 

 tain areas of treeless prairies in the Central States which never have 

 been forested but which are considered to be physically suited to 

 afforestation. A figure of 3 million acres will be ample to provide for 

 this. 



PROSPECTIVE AREA AVAILABLE FOR TIMBER PRODUCTION 



The net effects of such estimated amounts upon present or potential 

 commercial forest-land acreage may be summarized as follows : 



Acres 



Present acreage of commercial forest land - - 495, 000, 000 



Present acreage of agricultural land abandoned or otherwise avail- 

 able for forestation - 52, 000, 0( 



Acreage of treeless prairies available for afforestation 3, 000, 000 



Gross acreage of potential commercial forest land 550, 000, 000 



Area of present commercial forest land to be withdrawn for recrea- 

 tion. __ 34,000,000 



Deduction for conversion from forest to agriculture in the West- _ 

 Miscellaneous deductions for protection, etc 5, 000, 0( 



Gross acreage of prospective withdrawals 41, 000, 000 



Net acreage of potential commercial forest land 509, 000, 000 



An additional 25 to 30 million acres of agricultural land in the 

 eastern United States may become available for afforestation by 1950 

 according to an estimate contained in the section, Agricultural Land 

 Available for Forestry. Because of its location and character this 



