242 A NATIONAL PLAN FOR AMERICAN FORESTRY 



TABLE 25. Comparative plans for intensity of management of available forest land 



Plan II envisions an extremely far-reaching application of intensive 

 and extensive forestry. It may be considered as an ideal which would 

 use for forestry all of the land estimated to be now available for that 

 use, and would also leave a comfortable margin for a large ultimate 

 increase in export trade or for other reasons above our estimate of 

 normal timber requirements. It would also afford the maximum in 

 the way of protection benefits and other non timber uses. 



Plans I and II, at opposite extremes, will serve in some measure 

 to give a perspective to the timber-producing potentialities of our 

 available forest lands. Any student of the forest situation may 

 interpolate within this broad range such combination of areas allotted 

 to different types of management as he may deem consistent with 

 timber requirements, with the advantages of using for forestry all of 

 the land now available for it, and with other factors. 



Plan III, which is the combination presented in detail in tables 22 

 and 23, is offered as a working basis for the formulation of a Nation- 

 wide program of forest-land use and forestry action consistent with 

 our estimate of normal timber requirements. Timber requirements, 

 rather than the use for forestry of all land available for it, is made 

 the controlling consideration. It does, however, visualize a very 

 great advance over the present situation, not only as to the amount of 

 sustained timber yield assured, but also in the acreage of land devoted 

 to forestry. It would mean, for example, the planting of some 25 

 million acres of land, or 13 times the amount estimated to have been 

 planted by all agencies up to this time. If fully effected, say, by the 

 close of the century, it would involve an annual increase of about a 

 million acres in area under intensive forestry. It would mean a very 

 great expansion of the area under extensive forestry. It would include 

 what might be termed satisfactory fire protection on the total area in 

 table 25, and a reduction in losses from disease, insects, etc. 



It is believed that, from the standpoint of timber requirements, a 

 sustained annual yield of 17% billion cubic feet, such as this plan for 



