A NATIONAL PLAN FOR AMERICAN FORESTRY 1299 



Responsible officials in many of the States have prepared estimates 

 of the ultimate area they regard as a suitable objective for an adequate 

 State forest policy. These estimates total 51,419,000 acres, a figure 

 of the same order of magnitude as the estimates worked out in this 

 report. It is clearly desirable that these tentative State plans go 

 ahead as rapidly as possible. 



The present plans for national forest additions total 10,977,000 

 acres in the East and 18,500,000 in the West, or 29,477,000 acres 

 altogether. 



The total job of public forest acquisition and management that lies 

 ahead is so large on any basis of estimation, that exactness in appor- 

 tioning it between the States and the Federal Government is hardly 

 necessary. What is important is recognition that there is abundant 

 opportunity and need for participation by both, that the function of 

 the Federal Government is to supplement State programs, rather 

 than supplant them, and that agreements regarding the sphere of 

 each agency, and carrying out of noncompetitive programs, depend 

 on acceptance of the public forest undertaking as a partnership. 



THE COST OF THE PUBLIC ACQUISITION PROGRAM 



Estimates of the probable cost of the acquisition program as here 

 recommended must also be approximations, even though a very large 

 amount of experience has accumulated in the national-forest purchase 

 work to date. But average prices paid heretofore for given classes 

 of land are almost certain to be reduced in future public acquisition 

 work, because going prices of wild land are substantially lower than 

 formerly. 



The average price to date per acre for 4,727,000 acres of land 

 acquired in the East for national forest purposes has been $4.49. 

 The estimated cost per acre for 7,640,000 acres yet to be purchased 

 in already established national-forest units in the East is $4.05. When 

 the trend thus indicated is taken into account in estimating future 

 per-acre prices for different classes of land in each major region in 

 the East, over the period of time involved in the purchase of the 

 176,000,000 acres of public area to be acquired, the total expenditure 

 is reckoned at $572,000,000, or an average of $3.25 per acre. This 

 is approximately two thirds the average cost of purchases made to 

 date, and takes account of lands which are likely to come to the 

 public through donations and tax delinquency. Needless to say, the 

 price paid will vary widely between regions and for different classes 

 of land within a single region. 



In the West, similar estimates for the 47 million acres of public 

 acquisition area total $75,700,000 or $1.60 per acre average. This 

 estimate likewise takes account of probable donations, tax delin- 

 quency, and reduced going prices. 



The 90 billion board feet of stumpage recommended for Federal 

 purchase in the West in order to prolong the existing supplies of 

 stumpage are estimated to cost $100,000,000. 



The total capital investment of the entire recommended public 

 acquisition program, State and Federal, is thus $748,000,000. 

 Unless going prices change radically during the period of public 

 acquisition, this sum should be sufficient to acquire the forest prop- 

 erties which have been indicated as needed in public ownership. 



