1302 A NATIONAL PLAN FOR AMERICAN FORESTRY 



forestry is called upon to solve. The conclusion is reached that to 

 a very high degree private ownership has failed to conserve water- 

 shed values and that public ownership will be needed to do so. 



Public ownership for watershed protection cannot be very effective 

 unless at least 35 percent of the total area within a given unit is 

 within the price range for public purchase. Detailed analyses indi- 

 cate a total area of 155 million acres of high and medium value 

 watershed area, in feasible units, which is recommended for public 

 purchase and management. This very large program would still 

 leave to private ownership a major part of the forest land possessing 

 watershed value. In the West a large part of the whole problem 

 can be solved by adding to the national forests an area of about 22 

 million acres of federally owned public domain, which is not now 

 administered to conserve its watershed values. 



The needs of the Nation for management of forest lands for timber 

 production total 509 million acres. After taking full account of the 

 part existing public forests may take in balancing the timber budget, 

 and after depending on private ownership to the full extent justified 

 by the analysis of private opportunity, the conclusion is reached that 

 public ownership of 172 million additional acres of timber-producing 

 land is needed. A regional program of public acquisition to that 

 amount is recommended. The part that reforestation of abandoned 

 agricultural lands will take in the public acquisition programs for 

 timber production and watershed protection is estimated. 



Existing tracts of saw timber are seriously deficient and should 

 be husbanded. But in the West, where a very large part of the total 

 stock is in private ownership, too rapid exploitation is under way, 

 because of the financial pressure on owners of nonoperating stumpage, 

 which forces them to go on an operating basis. Federal acquisition 

 of not less than 90 billion board feet of such stumpage is recommended 

 as the surest way to prolong the life of existing supplies, through 

 bringing about a reasonable balance between production and con- 

 sumption. Such a program is a vital part of the whole program for 

 balancing the timber budget. 



A regional summary of the public acquisition needed for all forms 

 of land use indicates the total eventual program as 223 million acres 

 of which 176 million are in the East and 47 million in the West. The 

 probable division of responsibility between the States and the Federal 

 Government is estimated on the basis that the most wealthy States 

 will be able and willing to take care of 80 percent of the full program 

 and the least wealthy only 20 percent. The remaining areas will nec- 

 essarily fall to the Federal Government if the job is to be done at all. 



About 40 percent, or 89 million acres, of the total acreage is esti- 

 mated as the State share and about 60 per cent, or 134 million acres, 

 as the Federal share. 



The cost of the total public acquisition program, including saw 

 timber, is estimated at $750,000,000. Of this, 500 million is to carry 

 out the Federal Government's share and 250 million the States' share. 



The immediate program recommended for the Federal Government 

 is $30,000,000 a year, estimated to take care of 5 percent a year of 

 the total acquisition program or 6.7 million acres of land annually 

 over a 20-year period. This would also purchase annually about 

 9 billion feet of stumpage over a 10-year period. This rate of ac- 

 quisition is both needed and feasible. A corresponding rate for the 

 estimated State share would require $12,500,000 a year. 



