514 A NATIONAL PLAN FOE AMERICAN FORESTRY 



arid sections as in the Southwest there are sufficient permanent 

 water courses to justify an extensive demand for fish from Federal 

 hatcheries, and the areas to be stocked are constantly increased by 

 the impounding of water for the purposes specified above. It is 

 merely necessary to view States like Maine and Minnesota to realize 

 that a considerable proportion of the total area of these States is 

 actually under water and that the area covered by the thousands of 

 lakes must render its economic return largely as a recreational asset 

 in which the production of fish either for food or sport is probably 

 a major item. The absence of a Nation-wide summary of fishable 

 waters should not cloud the self-evident fact that problems concerning 

 this resource are of national scope and importance. 



EXTENT AND VALUE OF ANGLING FOR RECREATION 



As there is no evaluation of the actual potentialities of fish pro- 

 duction in the interior United States, there is likewise no compilation 

 of valid figures showing the extent and value of angling for recreation. 

 It is possible to cite the value of commercial fisheries in strictly interior 

 waters. Selecting only the commercial fisheries of the Mississippi 

 River and tributaries in order to avoid the confusing factor of the 

 maritime fisheries, it may be said that in 1930 these commercial 

 fisheries had a production value of $4,385,000, with a yield in pounds 

 of 108,171,000. It is indicated by the investigations of the Bureau 

 of Fisheries in the Mississippi River for a number of years that 

 changes taking place in the river, principally connected with erosion, 

 are having a detrimental effect upon the fish production. The role of 

 erosion in a forestry program is discussed elsewhere. 



Probably the most complete data on the economic importance 

 of angling are embodied in the Report of the Special Senate Com- 

 mittee on Conservation of Wild Life Resources, Report No. 1329, 

 Seventy-first Congress, third session. This report cites license 

 figures tending to show the public interest in fishing and hunting, and 

 indicates that 13,000,000 people indulge in this sport. Due to the 

 practice of a number of the States in covering hunting and fishing by a 

 single combination license, it is impossible to ascertain the exact 

 number of individuals who took out licenses for the specific purpose of 

 fishing. 



However, investigations by the Bureau of Fisheries show that for 

 the period ending June 30, 1932, there were approximately 4,850,000 

 State licenses issued which carried the privilege of angling. These 

 licenses paid in slightly under $8,000,000 during this period for the 

 above privileges. Senate Report No. 1329 further states that the 

 value of fishing tackle sold annually is estimated by a trade association 

 as being $25,000,000. 



Further light may be thrown by a citation of the expenditures 

 involved in the maintenance of the supply of commercial and game 

 fishes. There are in operation by the State and Federal Govern- 

 ments and private interests approximately 650 establishments devoted 

 to the propagation of fish. The State and Federal hatcheries require 

 the services of approximately 1,500 employees, and the combined 

 expenditures of both agencies during 1932 were approximately 

 $4,500,000. The investment of the Federal Government in its fish- 

 hatchery system is approximately $3,500,000. There were dis- 



