1330 A NATIONAL PLAN FOR AMERICAN FORESTRY 



INDIRECT FEDERAL AND STATE AID 



It should be emphasized that, excepting cash income for sale of 

 raw materials, the States derive the same benefits from Federally 

 owned lands as they would from State-owned. Therefore, unless cash 

 returns exceed investment and administrative costs, the State profits 

 more through the Federal activity than it would if the project were 

 conducted by the State with Federal financial assistance. Before 

 presenting a program for carrying out the plans for direct financial 

 aid to States that have been proposed in the several sections of this 

 report, therefore, it is desirable to review briefly the other forms of 

 Federal aid that have been recommended. 



Although justified primarily for its contribution to the national 

 interest, the largest of the other forms of aid, present and proposed, 

 is in the national-forest project. It was shown in the section of this 

 report entitled "The National Forests as a Form of Federal Aid to 

 the States" that, during the years 1923-1927, there was a net gam to 

 the States and counties concerned of $10,000,000 a year from present 

 Federal ownership. Without the national-forest system, the States 

 would have had to spend an equal amount for equivalent develop- 

 ment and care of the land, or to suffer corresponding depreciation of 

 the land and forego corresponding improvements. It was also 

 shown that the States receive the same indirect social and economic 

 advantages with the land in Federal ownership that they would 

 receive were it in State ownership. 



Provision is made in this program for Federal aid to States in the 

 survey and local control phases of insect control. This, if carried out, 

 would very substantially reduce insect epidemics, affecting large areas 

 of forests and spreading over State lines. But when this epidemic 

 condition does exist, it calls for emergency action that cannot be left 

 to the local interest which may often be a minor one to take the 

 needed action. Therefore, Federal leadership will often be necessary. 

 In addition to the plan for a cooperative survey and control organiza- 

 tion, provision is made for Federal control activities at an annual cost 

 of $700,000 and State activities at a cost of $1,250,000. Both fall 

 within the aid classification. 



Control of forest-tree diseases falls into two classes. Control of non- 

 epidemic diseases has so far been approached through the cutting and 

 the marketing of the trees affected. Technical advice would un- 

 doubtedly make such action more effective. 



Disease epidemics present an entirely different problem. The 

 spread of such diseases as the white pine blister rust, for example, can 

 only be checked by vigorous action on the part of the Federal Gov- 

 ernment with such assistance as may be administratively obtained 

 from the States and private owners affected. The occurrence of epi- 

 demics is so irregular, and the methods of control so different and so 

 highly specialized that a satisfactory cooperative control service 

 offers some difficulties. In any case provision should be made for a 

 Federal-control service, which would be an enlargement of the existing 

 blister rust-control organization. It would be available for control of 

 other epidemics and it would also have advisory functions which 

 should be very helpful in both epidemic and nonepidemic diseases. 

 The annual cost would start at $554,000 and rise to $719,000 at the 

 end of 5 years. 



