A NATIONAL PLAN FOR AMERICAN FORESTRY 1161 



the redemption of Federal responsibilities within areas in other than 

 Federal ownership and (2) to round out and consolidate existing 

 Federal holdings in established national-forest units so as to promote 

 their most efficient and economical protection and management and 

 the highest degree of industrial and social use. 



CONSIDERATIONS GOVERNING FEDERAL ACQUISITION 



PROGRAM 



EFFECT OF FINANCIAL INTEGRITY OF COUNTIES INVOLVED 



Lands in Federal ownership are not subject to taxation. The 

 act of May 23, 1908 (35 Stat. 260), provides that one fourth of the 

 gross revenues derived from sales of national-forest products or 

 occupancy of areas shall be paid to the States for distribution to the 

 counties containing national forests ; but where all currently realizable 

 commercial values have been removed from the land prior to its 

 acquisition, as is frequently the case, there may be little or no current 

 revenue until new crops of timber have been produced. In the 

 interim the income received by the county may not adequately re- 

 place the taxes previously paid. In consequence the Federal Govern- 

 ment, in all of its forest-land-acquisition program, must give careful 

 consideration to the degree to which the acquisition of a given area 

 will affect the financial and political integrity of the county or counties 

 in which that area is situated. 



In some instances it is so evident that the lands will revert to public 

 ownership through tax delinquency and thereafter cease to contribute 

 anything in the way of taxes that the county officials interpose no 

 objection to their acquisition by the United States. In other in- 

 stances the availability of the national-forest stumpage to be granted 

 in exchange for the private lands may make possible the continued 

 operation of a logging enterprise and furnish greater opportunity 

 for employment and industry than otherwise would be the case; 

 in which circumstance the county officials may endorse and support 

 the transaction. 



In other instances the increased net acreage in Federal control 

 within a given county will permit it to share more generously in the 

 receipts from the national forest or to qualify for an increased pro- 

 portion of Federal aid in road and trail construction and thus offset, 

 at least in part, the taxes which would be collected if the land con- 

 tinued in private ownership. Frequently enlarged participation by 

 the United States in forest protection and development is regarded 

 as offsetting possible losses of taxes. If, however, these considerations 

 do not prevail, if it is evident that beyond a certain point acquisition 

 by the United States would be inimical to the financial and political 

 integrity of the local unit of government, limitations are established 

 which will obviate such results. In some instances maximum 

 limitations of area are agreed upon by the county, State, and Federal 

 agencies and thereafter govern the Federal acquisition program 

 within the particular region. Occasionally, as a means of safeguard- 

 ing the integrity of agricultural communities, specifically defined 

 areas within the exterior boundaries of the national forest or purchase 

 unit are eliminated therefrom so as to obviate the possibility of their 

 purchase. In other words, the acquisition program always is influ- 

 enced by considerations of county interest. Where an exchange of 



