1202 A NATIONAL PLAN FOR AMERICAN FORESTRY 



widely distant States and regions. When viewed by regions, however, 

 a general similarity of forestry activities and likewise of interest is 

 found. Although different States usually extend State aid for 

 forestry according to the problems needing most urgent attention, 

 the problem of fire control is quite generally recognized as of the first 

 importance and as fundamentally necessary to the success of most 

 others. The establishment of this point of view is in itself an achieve- 

 ment of the highest significance for the future of forestry. Fire is the 

 most destructive agent to which our forests are subjected, and the; 

 general determination to control it finds expression in the large 

 proportionate sums provided for fire protection by State, private, 

 and Federal agencies. 



Considering emergency activities in the form of State aid, it is 

 pertinent to note that the States in their efforts to safeguard private 

 timber resources have provided funds in excess of a million dollars 

 annually for the control of destructive forest insects and diseases. 



At present no standard policy exists among the States as to the 

 extent to which they should participate in extending direct and 

 indirect aid to private forest owners. 



Most States in the New England, Middle Atlantic, and Lake regions 

 are now extending aid to private owners to a greater extent than is 

 found in any other region. Here private aid in fire protection is 

 extended almost entirely by the public. In the West the common 

 understanding is prevalent that it is proper for private forest owners 

 to carry a material part of the load of fire protection, and legislation 

 has been enacted to bring this about. In the South, State aid is 

 being extended with the principal objective of building up private 

 participation of voluntary nature. 



Figure 3 shows the amount of all forms of State aid in forestry being 

 extended annually to private owners and it likewise shows the amounts 

 which the private owners are expending for fire protection. The 

 graph also shows the areas of privately owned commercial forest 

 lands. The acreage of forest lands in itself should not be interpreted 

 as representing or constituting anything more than a rough correlation 

 between what the States are doing to aid private owners in forestry 

 and what they should do. For example, fire protection on a com- 

 parative acreage basis costs five times as much in some regions as in 

 others. Likewise States where destructive forest-insect epidemics or 

 tree-disease infestations are prevalent must include in their forestry 

 budgets control expenditure items which would not need be part of 

 the forestry costs in States where such epidemics or infestations were 

 absent. However, since cost figures are not available for the amount 

 which each State should provide for aid to private owners the acreage 

 of privately owned lands rather than cost estimates have been used 

 as one means of giving the reader at least some idea of the extent of 

 the forestry job on privately owned forest lands. 



The fundamental principles of extending aid to private owners by the 

 States is apparently now well established. The extent to which present 

 aid will be supplemented in the immediate future by needed additional 

 support is problematical. It seems reasonably certain, however, 

 that State interest and aid as now extended to private owners will be 

 continued and will be expanded as Federal and local interests in 

 forestry develop and as the States themselves become better able 

 financially to meet their broader responsibilities in this field. 



