FACTORS AFFECTING FEDERAL AND STATE AID 



CONTENTS 



Page 



Federal aid 1203 



The Federal interest in State forestry 1205 



Erosion and flood control 1206 



Factors affecting policy of Federal aid 1208 



Financing the Federal aid system 1219 



State aid 1223 



State forestry legislation and appropriations 1224 



State interest in forestry 1225 



Factors affecting State action 1225 



Conclusions 1227 



FEDERAL AID 



By FRED MORRELL, Assistant Forester, in Charge Branch of Public Relations 



The traditional policy of the United States as to disposition of forest 

 land is one of private ownership. Through liberal and laxly enforced 

 laws for private acquisition and through grants to States, railroads, 

 and other public and semipublic institutions, the largest share of the 

 forest lands of the country had passed from Federal ownership before 

 the policy of disposition was in part reversed by the act of March 3, 

 1891, which authorized the President to withdraw from entry remain- 

 ing federally owned lands suitable for forestry purposes. 



The States had generally followed the Federal policy of disposing of 

 grant lands to private owners, and large grantors, of whom railroad 

 companies were the most important, followed a similar plan. There- 

 fore, when early in the present century public concern was aroused 

 over the possibilities of a shortage of timber supplies and the con- 

 dition of watersheds, the question was largely related to land in 

 private ownership. 



Following the act of 1891 approximately 20 percent of the remaining 

 forest land of the country had been withdrawn from entry and included 

 in the national forest system. Practically all of this was in the far 

 western public-domain States. The States still owned a large acreage 

 of forest land, but this was in general being passed to private owner- 

 ship as fast as possible under generous disposal policies. A few 

 States had made small beginnings toward permanent ownership and 

 management of forest lands, and a relatively small aggregate area was 

 held by municipalities and minor political subdivisions for the pro- 

 tection of public water supply. Many owners were actively engaged 

 in protecting and otherwise managing their forest lands with the 

 purpose of preserving existing timber values until they could be liqui- 

 dated through cutting, in creating new values, or in preserving forest 

 conditions for other reasons. This was being done both by individuals 

 and by owner associations, the efforts of the latter being predominant 

 in the Northwest, where owners were carrying heavy investments in 

 commercial timber that were particularly liable to fire losses. 



1203 



