1204 A NATIONAL PLAN FOE AMERICAN FORESTRY 



In 191 1 , the public concern in the state of forested lands culminated 

 in the enactment of the Weeks law for Federal aid in forestry. At that 

 time 16 States had provided by law for systems of protection extending 

 over part or all of the forest land within their borders and had set up 

 organizations for actual protection work. Protection of privately 

 owned forests as a function of government had thus been firmly estab- 

 lished. 



Since Federal ownership represented the most certain form of 

 progress, continued protection and improvement of Federal properties, 

 as well as extension of Federal ownership, was obviously desirable 

 policy from a forestry standpoint. But it was clearly impracticable 

 to extend Federal ownership at once to any large percentage of forest 

 land in which the public was interested. Such a course was barred 

 both by the enormous sums of money that would be required for 

 acquisition and management, and by the thoroughly established 

 system of private ownership. A second possibility was to leave the 

 land in private and other ownership but to bring about through 

 regulation such systems of management as would safeguard the 

 public interest. Most leaders in the movement believed that public 

 dictation in the management of privately owned forest land would be 

 contrary to traditional American thought and custom, and hence at 

 that time impracticable, even where considered desirable. 



It was apparent that the existing classes of forest-land ownership 

 would continue, and that therefore any complete Federal program 

 would have to extend to all of them. It seemed also apparent that 

 the easiest and least expensive way, if not the only possible way, for 

 the Federal Government to exert any wide influence immediately 

 was through working with the facilities already set up. Through the 

 medium of Federal assistance conditioned on State assistance of at 

 least equal amount it was hoped that owners of forest land would be 

 encouraged to hold it for forestry purposes. It was believed that the 

 majority would find it to their interest to install such practices as 

 would satisfy the public need and that eventually public requirements 

 agreeable to most landowners would follow to insure the results 

 desired. The legislation embodied in the Weeks Act (March 1, 1911) 

 followed put these general ideas in creating what is known as the 

 Federal-aid system. 



While the Weeks Act provided for Federal acquisition of forest land 

 and Federal aid in protecting State and privately owned land from 

 fire, it expressly applied only to forest land on the watersheds of 

 navigable streams. There is much evidence, however, that naviga- 

 bility of streams was not in reality the prime incentive for the legisla- 

 tion. A review of the statements made by those interested in promot- 

 ing Federal acquisition, fire protection, and forestry extension indi- 

 cates that they had in view all of the public values inherent in forestry. 

 Aid to navigation was but one of the considerations, although in the 

 minds of some of those who supported the legislation it may have con- 

 stituted a sufficient single reason for the action taken. 



The gains established through the administration of the Weeks 

 Act have been consolidated and enlarged through the Clarke- 

 McNary Act of June 7, 1924, the operation of which has already been 

 discussed in some detail. Briefly, the principle of Federal aid to the 

 States is now well intrenched, the States have responded with large 

 contributions to forestry on their own account, and the situation 

 promises well for the Nation-wide forestry program of the future. 



