A NATIONAL PLAN FOR AMERICAN FORESTRY 979 



modern design in accord with the best principles of production engi- 

 neering and to adaptation of technical processes. Finally, the folly 

 of locating in a single community plants in excess of the productive 

 capacity should be scrupulously avoided. Efforts to rebuild the 

 forest capital cannot be expected to succeed if the wastage that 

 accompanied early exploitation of the forest is allowed to continue. 



MEASURES NECESSARY TO SPEED UP ADOPTION OF 

 IMPROVED FOREST-MANAGEMENT PRACTICES 



In handling the relatively small areas of well-stocked forest that 

 now remain, together with such areas as have partially restocked and 

 have promise for the future, the time element is of great importance. 

 Neither the forest owners, the forest regions, nor the Nation can 

 afford to allow the forest productivity to go into further decline. In 

 many localities a relatively few years' prolongation of a liquidation 

 policy would set back for a generation the opportuuity for private 

 forestry to yield any immediate profit. In order to present a well- 

 rounded picture of the measures involved in placing private forestry 

 on a firm foundation, it is necessary to touch briefly on certain 

 matters which have been discussed more fully earlier in this section, 

 and also to touch on certain items which have not been treated in this 

 section but have been treated fully elsewhere in this report. 



CONSOLIDATING AND STABILIZING FOREST-LAND OWNERSHIP 



As was noted earlier in this discussion, operating economy can be 

 very materially advanced, both as to utilization of the present stand 

 and as to permanent sustained-yield operation, by carefully assem- 

 bling areas into natural economic units. The savings from proper 

 size, shape, topographical form, and timber-transport facilities are, of 

 course, most apparent in regions of rough topography such as is 

 common in the West. Even on flat areas, location with regard to 

 rivers, highways, railroads, manufacturing centers, and local markets 

 is of great importance. 



In order to take advantage of these savings all classes of owners in a 

 given territory may well join in breaking the area into effective 

 operating units. Each unit can then be transferred to a single owner- 

 ship or the various owners can cooperate formally or informally in 

 locating manufacturing plants and transportation routes, allocating 

 the annual cut among various properties, etc. In working out these 

 transfers and plans the aim should be to promote stability of owner- 

 ship. 



If the private owner is not interested in permanent ownership and 

 care of this area, it is in his interest to maintain it in the best condition 

 possible until it can be transferred to some stable form of ownership. 

 Irresponsible ownership of forest areas is no longer justifiable. 



ORGANIZING AND ADMINISTERING THE FOREST BUSINESS 



Poor planning is as costly in forest business operations as in other 

 lines of business. One of the first steps to be taken by the forest 

 owner who has sensed the continuous-production possibilities of his 

 holdings is systematic organization of the business. This means care- 

 fully eliminating many losing practices such as cutting stands and 



