A NATIONAL PLAN FOR AMERICAN FORESTRY 



1059 



COVERAGE OF FOREST AREAS BY SOME DEGREE OF ORGANIZED 



PROTECTION 



The acreages covered in the extension of systematic protection to 

 the area needing protection are indicated for the years 1912 to 1931 

 in figure 1. The average annual gain in area of State and private 

 forest land under some form of systematic protection from 1912 to 



FIGURE 1. Forest area in State and private ownership under cooperative fire protection. 



100 



200 300 



Million Acres 



400 



500 



Area Unprotected 



H Area Covered by some form ^ 



^^ of Organized Protection *& 



FIGURE 2. Progress in protection of State and private forest land from fire on basis of area. 



1931 was 8,781,000 acres. If this rate of progress were continued, 

 and if it is assumed that the total area to be covered is 420,000,000 

 acres, complete coverage would be attained at this rate in 22 years. 

 If we take the period 1925-30, the average annual gain indicated 

 is 9,870,000 acres, and the time required for complete coverage is 

 19 years. This periodic progress is shown in relation to the estimated 

 need in figure 2. 



