A NATIONAL PLAN FOR AMERICAN FORESTRY 1197 



State aid in this large group of States constitutes but 7.1 percent of 

 of the total amount furnished for aid of private owners in all States. 

 No State forestry organization exists in Arkansas. 



Fire protection. Some owners in all these States, except Arkansas, 

 receive direct aid from the State in the protection of their timberlands 

 from fire, but such aid applies only to those in organized protection 

 areas. The percentage of forest land protected in 1931 in each State 

 was as follows: 



Percent 



Alabama 43. 3 



Florida 8. 1 



Louisiana 29. 9 



Georgia 8. 4 



Mississippi 2. 7 



Percent 



North Carolina 39. 1 



Oklahoma 10. 7 



South Carolina 5. 2 



Texas 46. 



Virginia 63. 4 



Considering the group as a whole, the State aid extended to private 

 owners in fire protection differs quite materially from that in the Lake, 

 Middle Atlantic, and New England States, where all forest areas are 

 being protected from fire and where practically all protection costs 

 are borne by the public. Protection in the South has not yet been 

 established on a State-wide basis. Furthermore, the Southern States 

 do not make large sums available for protection but rather endeavor 

 to secure voluntary participation of private owners in sharing the 

 costs. For example, prevention and suppression expenditures for the 

 calendar year 1931 were shared between the public and by private 

 owners in the following proportions : 



Percent 

 States 33 



Private owners 23 



Federal Government.. 44 



Total . 100 



The participation and contributions of private owners in fire pro- 

 tection is all voluntary in the South. In Virginia and North Caro- 

 lina the counties as well as the State provide public aid to owners. 



Planting. All of the Southern States except Texas and Arkansas 

 extend assistance to private owners in planting. This aid through 

 State funds totaled $25,339 during 1931. South Carolina spent 

 $6,003 which was more than was spent by any other State in the 

 group. Annual distribution of planting stock to private owners by 

 all States is approximately 3 million trees, of which about 75 percent 

 are for farm planting and 25 percent for planting on other private 

 holdings. Several large paper and lumber companies are engaged in 

 planting projects on their holdings and operate well-managed forest 

 nurseries. Advice furnished by State and Federal forestry repre- 

 sentatives has been of material aid in this work. 



Extension. Eight States employ extension foresters and furnish 

 private owners, especially owners of farm woodland, with planting 

 and management demonstrations and advice. Oklahoma, Florida, 

 and South Carolina do not employ extension foresters. Florida, 

 however, performs important extension work in cooperation with the 

 Bureau of Chemistry and Soils by having a technical employee devote 

 part time in promoting and demonstrating improved turpentining 

 practices. State annual expenditures amount to about $24,324 in 

 these States for extension activities, which constitutes 26.2 percent 

 of the total for all State aid forestry work. 



