1066 A NATIONAL PLAN FOR AMERICAN FORESTRY 



complete reversal and more, of the theoretical relationship. Further- 

 more, the tendency is to draw still further away from dependence on 

 private money toward a more nearly complete dependence on public 

 money. The proportionate sharing varies greatly in different regions. 

 Fire protection in the New England, the Middle Atlantic, the Lake 

 States and, to a less degree, the Central regions already is very nearly 

 upon a basis of complete public support, the private expenditures of 

 1932 being 2.75, 0.21, 1.44, and 8.77^ percent, respectively. The 

 Pacific coast and the two Rocky Mountain regions, taken together, are 

 approximately upon the theoretically accepted basis of 25 percent 

 Federal, 25 percent State, and 50 percent private support, while the 

 South approaches equal sharing by the Federal Government on the 

 one hand and the State and private owners on the other. 



In the northwestern section as a whole, fire protection was started 

 in merchantable stands of timber, and the private owner took the 

 initiative. Originally he could afford to pay the whole bill and was 

 willing to do so. As he removes his merchantable values, however, 

 his interest diminishes, and when the first major operation is com- 

 pleted he is often not disposed to hold and protect his cut-over areas. 

 This later situation is at present acute only in one State, but it is 

 anticipated in others. The difficulties are augmented by the fact 

 that the cost of protecting cut-over land is much greater than for 

 protecting mature stands, the ratio being sometimes as great as 10 to 1. 

 In certain cases continuous yield or selective cutting management will 

 cause the owner to retain his interest, but as a rule the assumption by 

 the public of an increasing share of expense becomes definitely neces- 

 sary as cutting proceeds. In the important Pacific coast and North 

 Rocky Mountain regions the large sharing of costs by the private 

 owners in 1932 does not, in itself, promise stability in protection. 

 In certain parts of these regions the reverse is true for the reason ex- 

 plained. In the Northeast and in the Lake States the adjustments 

 have already been made, and the public has assumed the bulk of the 

 protection costs. 



In the South we have almost the opposite condition to that in the 

 Northwest. Protection interest here centers in second-growth timber 

 and in reproduction. The short-rotation for turpentine, in particular 

 has moved certain large onwers to initiate protection with the help of 

 the States and the Federal Government. The private interest and 

 support seems likely to continue and to increase, although not to such 

 a degree as to promise anything like State- wide protection. For 

 State-wide results, the public funds, and especially State funds, will 

 have to be greatly increased, and this may be a slow and laborious 

 process. The cooperative plan has, however, succeeded admirably 

 in the South in getting some degree of systematic protection started 

 where there was none. 



Figure 5 is a graphic summary, by regions, of the financial status of 

 forest fire protection by the public and private agencies. The actual 

 expenditures are shown in dark shading and the additional amounts 

 needed to give adequate protection in light. In calculating the addi- 

 tional amounts, 25 percent of the total sum needed was taken as the 

 ultimate Federal share and 75 percent as that of the States and private 

 owners. 



