A NATIONAL PLAN FOR AMERICAN FORESTRY 1139 



wood products in use. Federal legislation to provide direct financial 

 aid to the States was proposed in 1931 (H.R. 5830 and S. 1862, 72d 

 Cong., 1st sess.), whereby Federal funds not to exceed $250,000 for 

 each cooperating State would have been available for the control of 

 tree-killing forest insect epidemics on State and privately owned forest 

 lands, if matched by equal funds furnished by the States. (This bill, 

 while approved in principle by the Secretary of Agriculture, was 

 adversely reported for immediate enactment.) This measure is simi- 

 lar to that for cooperative fire control authorized under section 2 of 

 the Clarke-McNary Act (June 7, 1924, 43 Stat. 653) as amemded. 

 Pending the enactment of such legislation, Federal aid to the States 

 will remain incidental to the national program, but this does not mean 

 that the actual benefit to the States will not be large. 



An illustration of this Federal service to the States is afforded by 

 the interception activities at ports of entry, to prevent the intro- 

 duction of injurious foreign pests. This is unquestionably a Federal 

 job and can best be handled by the organization now invested with 

 this responsibility the Bureau of Plant Quarantine. 



The detection of insect outbreaks in the forest is primarily the 

 function of the landowners Federal, State, and private yet past 

 experience has indicated that more effective results are possible if 

 such detection service utilizes the advice and cooperation of Federal 

 officers of the Bureau of Entomology. 



Forest insect research has developed during the past 30 years pri- 

 marily as a Federal function, and it seems advisable to urge that the 

 Federal activities in this line be continued and strengthened. Further 

 development of the Federal work should be coordinated with the 

 Federal forest experiment stations. This plan was inaugurated some 

 few years ago and it has proven to be highly effective and advanta- 

 geous to Federal and private interests. 



A few States have undertaken independent research in the field of 

 forest entomology, usually in connection with the academic work of 

 forest schools, as the New York State College of Forestry, University 

 of Minnestoa, University of Michigan, University of California, and 

 the Oregon Agricultural College. The State of Maine has maintained 

 a forest entomologist for several years. It is wise to urge further 

 State activities either through universities or the State experiment 

 stations, and the fullest possible Federal cooperation should be given. 

 Such cooperation is already in existence at practically every point 

 where forest entomological work is being conducted. Where States 

 have important local problems and sufficient interest to provide some 

 money for technical work, it should be possible for the Federal Govern- 

 ment to assist by contributing funds or technical assistance that would 

 aid in coordinating these activities with the Federal program. Several 

 examples of this type of cooperation are now in effect. 



The actual control of forest insects is a function of the land- 

 managing agencies. Insect control on Federal, State, and private 

 lands receives cooperation, as to technical methods, from insect control 

 experts of the Bureau of Entomology whenever possible, but actual 

 suppression costs are at present borne by the agency administering 

 the lands. Federal aid has been advocated in control work on State 

 and private lands where these are intermingled or where a menace 



