A NATIONAL PLAN FOE AMERICAN FORESTRY 1049 



For regulation. Existing regulation has not had a fair chance to 

 become fully effective. Much of it is relatively new, forest owners in 

 many instances are not aware that the laws exist, and adequate funds 

 and personnel have not been provided for enforcing them. Moreover, 

 the public has not always done its part in helping forest owners. 



9. Against regulation. Regulation would not be effective because 

 of the antagonism of forest owners. 



For regulation. As explained above, part of the antagonism to the 

 idea of regulation is due to a misconception as to what regulation 

 would involve. Other sturdy individualists object because of a dis- 

 inclination to allow a public agency or anyone else to tell them how to 

 run their business. The newer generation of forest owners, however, 

 has a better understanding of the evil results of unrestricted private 

 exploitation than their predecessors had. If the public will do its 

 part, it is not fantastic to believe that many owners will accept and 

 even welcome a reasonable degree of restriction, providing it is applied 

 impartially to all owners. As soon as a large proportion of forest 

 owners, or of the more influential owners, can be made to see that a 

 certain amount of restriction would be for the best interest of all and 

 would not involve excessive interference with private business, such 

 regulation can be effective. Regulation of a considerably more 

 intensive character than might be desirable at the present time in the 

 United States was quickly accepted by the forest owners and has been 

 very effective in Norway, Sweden, and Finland. 



10. Against regulation. Public opinion is indifferent. Without 

 the support of an informed public opinion, regulation would not be 

 practical. 



For regulation. The public is rapidly becoming cognizant of the 

 desirability of forest preservation. The damage done by forest 

 fires is much better understood than it was. Events of the last few 

 years have brought the dangers of floods and erosion prominently to 

 public attention. The value of forests for recreation is appreciated 

 as never before. The old idea that practically all land is suitable for 

 agriculture is now pretty well exploded and it is more evident than 

 formerly that a considerable area of forest land will have to remain in 

 forest if it is to produce anything. Even forest owners are beginning 

 to realize that devastation of most forests is unprofitable and econom- 

 ically foolish. 



11. Against regulation. Instead of trying to regulate private 

 owners, the public should buy, or acquire by other means, all of the 

 forest land. 



For regulation. Land acquired through tax default or through gift 

 is likely to have had its productive and protective values seriously 

 impaired before the public gets it. Purchase of the major portion of 

 the still productive land would certainly be costly, and even if such a 

 program could be agreed upon it would require many years for com- 

 pletion. Some provision should be made to prevent devastation of 

 such land during the interim before it is acquired by the public. 

 Moreover, under the most ambitious plan of public acquisition that i- 

 likely to be adopted, so far as can be foreseen at this time, a very large 

 area of forest land will remain in private ownership. 



