A NATIONAL PLAN FOR AMERICAN FORESTRY 847 



very important one, will lie in the protection that they afford munic- 

 ipal water supplies. That will give them a more important status 

 than if their purpose were the production of wood alone. 



Following in the wake of the State park, which is rapidly assuming 

 an important role in State developments, the town forest will in 

 congested sections almost certainly play the role of a town forest 

 park, a recreation center where facilities will be provided for rest and 

 amusement. It may also serve as a game and bird refuge, or for 

 some similar purposes. The extent to which town forests may be 

 developed for such purposes is beyond any one's knowledge. Without 

 doubt the need for and appreciation ^ of such areas will be realized 

 more keenly year by year, and it is entirely likely that relatively small 

 areas will be set aside in increasing numbers by local communities 

 with a view mainly to their recreation value, rather than timber grow- 

 ing. There is no doubt that they will be heavily patronized, and will 

 render in this way one of the well-recognized services of the forest, 

 and will be well worth their cost. 



Any estimate of the cost of these lands and the current expenditures 

 on them could only be the roughest sort of a guess. Some of the 

 land was acquired by gift, some by purchase, some through tax- 

 delinquency, some through converting the old, so-called town farms into 

 town forests and so on. Perhaps it averaged $4 to $5 an acre, which 

 would make the total original cost to the towns about $2,000,000. 

 The towns have been active in establishing forest plantations, which 

 statistics show to aggregate about 68,000 acres. Since the towns 

 ordinarily receive these trees free of charge from State nurseries, 

 their actual expenditures for planting were probably about $350,000. 

 There is no method of estimating what is spent yearly on these forests. 

 Some towns have given them very good care, especially if one of their 

 functions was to protect the water supply. Funds have been spent 

 not only for general oversight, but for taking care of insect infestations 

 such as the white pine weevil. 



COUNTY FORESTS 



The number and extent of county forests, as estimated from avail- 

 able records are summarized in table 2. 



TABLE 2. County forests of the United States 



It can hardly be said, in view of their small number and relatively 

 small acreage, except in Wisconsin, that these forests are of great 

 significance at present. Only in the four States of Illinois, New Jersey, 



