662 A NATIONAL PLAN FOB AMERICAN FORESTRY 



been placed in cities and wherever possible in direct cooperation with 

 universities. 



The headquarters of 6 of the 11 regional stations so far established 

 are maintained in cooperation with universities, namely, the Alle- 

 gheny Station in cooperation with the University of Pennsylvania, at 

 Philadelphia; the California, with the University of California, at 

 Berkeley; the Central States, with Ohio State University, at Co- 

 lumbus; the Lake States, with the University of Minnesota, at St. 

 Paul; the Northeastern, with Yale University, at New Haven; and 

 the Southwestern, with the University of Arizona, at Tucson. 



For forest and range experiment stations maintained at universities, 

 headquarters laboratory needs are being met in varying degree by the 

 cooperating institution. The situation at stations without university 

 affiliation is as yet far less satisfactory. 



The major part of the silvicultural and range work must, however, 

 be conducted in the woods and on the ranges. This requirement is 

 now being met by a clear-cut departmental as well as Forest Service 

 policy and instructions for setting aside from the existing national 

 forests and dedicating to research both experimental forests and 

 experimental ranges. Where there are no national forests, provision 

 for acquisition or other arrangements are to be worked out. 



Each experimental forest is to be as fully representative as possible 

 of the conditions in an important subregion. So far as can now be 

 foreseen, from 5 to 10 experimental forests will ultimately be required 

 hi each forest region in the continental United States and a smaller 

 number in outlying regions. The McSweeney-McNary Forest 

 Research Act specifies 13 such forest regions in the United States 

 proper and 3 in outlying possessions. The area of each of the experi- 

 mental forests will range from about 1,500 acres as a minimum to 

 about 5,000 as a maximum, exclusive of natural areas. Housing and 

 incidental laboratory facilities are needed and are gradually being 

 provided at the experimental forests. 



The same general policy is to be followed in the establishment of 

 experimental ranges. Provision is also made for natural forest and 

 range areas to form a part of experimental forests and ranges wherever 

 possible, and for such other natural areas as may be necessary through- 

 out the country for research purposes. 



To date 15 experimental forests and 2 experimental ranges have 

 been set aside by formal proclamation. Sixteen natural areas have 

 been set aside and are available for investigative purposes. About 

 an equal number of experimental forests and natural areas are in 

 advanced stages of selection and formal establishment. Conditions 

 in practically every forest region of the United States are represented. 



The policy of formally setting experimental forests and ranges and 

 natural areas aside in perpetuity grew from years of experience in 

 which it was found that even on the national forests widely scattered 

 sample plots could not be satisfactorily protected, resulted in excessive 

 costs, did not in many instances lend themselves to the intensive 

 research which frequently becomes necessary before problems can be 

 satisfactorily answered, did not lead to satisfactory correlation of 

 findings, were most unsatisfactory for demonstration purposes, and 

 gave unsatisfactory results in many other respects. Experimental 

 forests and ranges, with the bulk of the field research of the forest 

 experiment stations concentrated on them, should within a relatively 



