1258 A NATIONAL PLAN FOR AMERICAN FORESTRY 



the rapid economic development of the country. In this process the 

 liberal land disposal laws and the generous grants of forest lands to 

 States, institutions, and railroads played an important part. So, too, 

 did the traditional "cut-out-and-get-out" practice of timber mining. 

 For the first century and more of its existence the Nation could well 

 accept the heavy wastage of forest resources and the wholesale loss of 

 public lands, which early became an integral part of the rush and 

 sweep of the pioneer period and typified its spirit. Ownership of forest 

 land carried no obligation expressed or implied. 



But toward the end of the last century the need for national concern 

 in forest lands became an urgent public issue. The last frontier was 

 reached; the inexhaustibility myth was exploded; and the cumulative 

 effects of land mistreatment, resource wastage, and giving away of 

 public forest lands could no longer be overlooked by the people o the 

 Nation and by the National Government. The first major expression 

 of a newly aroused concern appeared in the creation of the national- 

 forest system, designed from the beginning to retain and manage 

 under the principles of forestry the forest lands remaining in national 

 ownership. In addition thus to restraining somewhat the further 

 aggravation of the Nation's forest problem it was hoped that the 

 examples of technical forest management would stimulate similar 

 ventures by the States and private owners on their forest properties. 

 The venture marked the end of complete faith in the working out of 

 the laissez-faire idea. 



In 1911 the Nation extended its program of national-forest estab- 

 lishment to include the purchase of private forest lands located on 

 headwaters of streams in the East. The need for Federal control of 

 natural resources through ownership and management of forest lands 

 was thus early recognized. Along with this development of the 

 national-forest system went the development of State forests in 

 several of the States, some antedating the national-forest system, 

 others stimulated by the example set by the Federal Government. 



The inauguration of Federal aid in fire control in 1911 was a 

 recognition that there was a national interest in all forest lands, that 

 private ownership needed assistance, and that the forests would 

 remain largely in private hands. It greatly accelerated the attempt 

 to solve the forest problem through the second method of public 

 action that of public aid. In line with this broader concept of 

 public obligation most of the forest States developed public aid in 

 fire control as an assistance to private owners. The degree of aid 

 given from State funds varies widely, but there has been very general 

 recognition of State interest in the treatment and condition of private 

 forest lands. 



To date the Federal Government has functioned in forest affairs 

 in two principal directions: 



First, by supplementing through public aid the State and private 

 efforts, but leaving primary responsibility in their hands, to the 

 degree necessary to do the job right, and where there is real intent 

 and effort by State and private owners to do the job. Second, 

 when other agencies were unable to unwilling to manage private 

 forest land, by acquiring and managing it as a national enterprise. 

 In this twofold program there is no abandonment of the Nation's 

 traditional desire that State and private effort handle the forest 

 problem to the greatest practicable degree. Many of the States 



