A NATIONAL PLAN FOR AMERICAN FORESTRY 1335 



Federal and State Aid, to call for an increased Federal appropriation. 

 For the present at least the same results can be attained through the 

 method of allotting to each State 25 percent of its total needs as fast 

 as the States can match such allotments on a 50-50 ratio. Tables 1 

 and 2 propose a financial arrangement for putting all forest lands 

 under protection during the next 20 years and are in accordance with 

 this plan. 



It is, of course, obvious that such a program would result in a ratio 

 of Federal reimbursement higher in some States than in others for a 

 long time, possibly in some cases permanently. It is also recognized 

 that such a plan would not necessarily result in adequate protection 

 for all forest land in all of the States, because to bring that about the 

 States and private owners would have to provide all of the cost after 

 the halfway mark had been reached. It is a question of recognizing, 

 first, that the rate of reimbursement would be unequal, and, second, 

 that no perfect or perhaps no permanent scheme can be devised at 

 this time. 



The situation with reference to State aid to private owners is 

 comparable to that described above, with a wider divergence in the 

 degree of public assistance rendered. In a large percentage of the 

 States protection of forests from fire has been recognized as a public 

 responsibility, the expense of which is met from general taxes. On 

 the other hand, several of the Northwestern States have not recog- 

 nized the principle of public aid in cost of protecting privately owned 

 forest land but make appropriations for protection of State-owned 

 properties. 



The plan here proposed is to continue whatever scheme is in effect 

 in the different States, recognizing, however, that changing conditions 

 of forest cover and economics will affect the amount that landowners 

 can and will pay for protection of their properties, and that, after 

 making allowance for what it is estimated the landowners can pay in 

 those States where they are expected to contribute, and after adding 

 the Federal share, the States must provide the remainder if the job 

 is to be done. 



Under the above-described plan, the State share of the total cost 

 varies from 75 percent in those States that have adopted systems of 

 protection wholly at public expense to 35 percent in some States 

 where it is estimated that as much as 40 percent of the total cost can 

 be obtained from the landowners. 



In setting up the amount to be obtained from private owners, 



E resent State systems of protection have been followed. In those 

 tates where the system of State-wide protection is in effect with the 

 public paying the entire cost, no estimate of private expenditure 

 has been included. In States whose systems of protection provide 

 for sharing the cost with the landowners, there has been included an 

 amount which it is estimated private owners would voluntarily 

 contribute if the States extended their protection systems as indicated. 

 Under the system now in effect, and of which the continuance is 

 recommended, the Federal amount remains the same regardless of 

 the source from which the States raise the remainder. 



It is, of course, obvious that under any system of Federal aid, 

 which requires the matching of Federal by State funds on a given 

 ratio, progress can be made only at the pace set by the States. It 



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