1106 



A NATIONAL PLAN FOR AMERICAN FORESTRY 



2. They substantially reduced the amounts of money which the 

 States and counties had to spend to properly safeguard and conserve 

 natural resources vital to their continued economic and social progress. 



3. They markedly reduced the amounts of money the States and 

 counties had to spend to provide and maintain the systems of high- 

 ways, roads, and trails essential to existing and prospective public 

 needs. 



4. They made available to the States and counties for the enforce- 

 ment of State laws and county ordinances, such as the fish and game 

 laws, fire laws, sanitary laws, etc., the cooperative assistance of a 

 widely distributed and trained organization, and correspondingly 

 diminished the expenditures the local agencies otherwise would have 

 had to make to carry out properly their regulatory functions. 



5. They indirectly benefited all State, county, or private lands 

 intermingled with or contiguous to the national-forest lands by mini- 

 mizing losses from fire, disease, and insects; and benefited the local 

 economic situations by making available to local populations valuable 

 privileges and uses which facilitated local commercial and industrial 

 development and land use, and correspondingly enhanced local values. 



Table 2 quantitatively summarizes the extent of these benefits. 

 The first column of figures covers item 1 , the second column items 3 

 and 4, and the fourth column item 5. The figures in the first column 

 are matters of detailed record; those in the second are based on 

 detailed road and trail expenditures and cost distribution records; 

 and only those in the fourth column are approximations. 



EFFECT OF NATIONAL FORESTS UPON COSTS OF 

 LOCAL GOVERNMENT 



In offset to the evident benefits accruing locally from the national 

 forests, the representation frequently has been made that the existence 

 of national forests markedly increases the general costs of local 

 government. The study herein discussed therefore included con- 

 sideration of that aspect of the situation. 



Primarily the functions of State and county government are : 



1. The protection of public safety, health, and property. 



2. The enforcement of civil and criminal processes under State law 

 or county ordinance. 



3. The promotion of public education. 



TABLE 2. Summary of national forest contributions to State or county revenues or 

 development programs during fiscal years 1923 to 1927 



25 per cent of national-forest receipts. 



