A NATIONAL PLAN FOR AMERICAN FORESTRY 691 



survey. The increase of the appropriation to the higher authoriza- 

 tion should not be extended over three years as a maximum. Pro- 

 vision should also be made for continuing the work necessary to keep 

 data current after the completion of the first survey, and this may 

 require a regular appropriation of approximately $200,000 per year 

 indefinitely, although the work might perhaps be done for less. The 

 amount specified in the second column for erosion-streamflow investi- 

 gation is that needed under the provisions of the proposed Leavitt 

 amendment to the McSweeney-McNary Act. 



The future trend of the work is almost certain, judging from past 

 experience, to be from the extensive to the intensive, and from the 

 general or exploratory to the fundamental. The easier and more 

 obvious problems are gradually covered and a working basis of fairly 

 satisfactory results furnished for current use, releasing men and re- 

 sources for more intensive attack. The solution of the easier, more 

 superficial problems and the growing intensity of actual practice leads 

 inevitably to the fundamental how and why of biological phenomena, 

 on the answer to which must depend fully satisfactory practice. 

 Work over a period of years is bound to give a much clearer concep- 

 tion of what the underlying or key problem actually are and to 

 emphasize the need for work on them. Men with the requisite train- 

 ing and experience are gradually developed or become available. 

 Industrial concerns in such fields as forest products are gradually 

 stimulated to undertake for themselves some of the simpler or appli- 

 cation problems, thereby releasing the Federal investigative staff for 

 the more difficult time-consuming fundamental work. This also 

 promises to be true of the administrative force on the national forests 

 in such problems as timber growing and protection, range manage- 

 ment, etc. 



Practically every consideration, therefore, emphasizes a gradual 

 trend to more and more intensive attacks in all phases of forest 

 research; and this makes adequate provision for working facilities, 

 such as experimental forests and ranges, all the more necessary. 

 The adoption of clear-cut objectives for such experimental forests 

 and ranges within the past two years has materially speeded up their 

 selection, which had previously been very slow. The number will 

 have to be gradually but substantially increased. Energetic efforts 

 will be necessary to insure the setting aside of some of the areas 

 needed before they are seriously injured or ruined for experimental 

 purposes bv the cutting of the timber or other forms of use. These 

 areas, particularly when they have a background of several or many 

 years' work on many phases of the forestry problem, will offer ideal 

 and in fact indispensable facilities for intensive work on fundamental 

 problems. At the same time their value as demonstration areas will 

 increase. Large numbers of investigations will be under way on 

 contiguous areas, and integrated with them will be intensive studies 

 to determine the why and wherefore of all that happens. Natural 

 areas must also be set aside in advance of the ax and the saw. 



The corresponding problem for forest products investigations will 

 be simpler because of the recently completed laboratory at Madison, 

 which will meet major needs for working facilities for some time to 

 come. 



Like all other publicly supported organizations, the Forest Service 

 is dependent upon publications as one of the chief means for making 



