A NATIONAL PLAN FOR AMERICAN FORESTRY 1345 



owners are clearly subordinate. There can be no reasonable doubt 

 but that the Federal Government has the responsibility and the legal 

 right to exercise such control over both public and private forests as 

 may be necessary to accomplish these objectives. If the Federal 

 Government has the power to spend Federal funds in purchasing 

 forest land for these purposes and in restoring a forest cover on such 

 lands, it is logical to conclude that it also has the power to prevent 

 the destruction which will make such acquisition and reforestation 

 necessary. 



SCOPE OF STATE REGULATION 



FORESTS IN GENERAL 



It does not seem to be practicable for either the States or the Fed- 

 eral Government at this time to require that private forests be man- 

 aged on a sustained-yield basis or under the supervision of foresters. 

 It is desirable, however, that each State should follow the example 

 already set by several States and adopt the following minimum 

 requirements with respect to all private forests except those so small 

 in area or so isolated that their destruction can harm no one but the 

 owner. It may also be desirable for States, groups of States, or the 

 Federal Government to cooperate with the forest industries in regu- 

 lating output so as to prevent waste of the resource and insure its 

 perpetuation through sustained yield. 



PROTECTION AGAINST FIRE 



(1) The creation of abnormal hazards should be prohibited. 

 These include large accumulations of slash; extensive clear cutting 

 where topography, soil, and climatic conditions favor excessive drying 

 out or rapid spread of fire; and careless use of fire, such as brush 

 burning or operation of railroad and logging engines without taking 

 due precautions against the start and spread of fires. 



(2) To the extent that fire hazard arises from the activities or 

 negligence of owners or operators, they should be required to bear a 

 large share of the cost of prevention and suppression, either directly 

 or through support of organized associations, or preferably through 

 contribution to the State (special fire-protection assessment). They 

 should be also required to construct and maintain suitable firebreaks 

 around slashings or other areas where there is special danger of fires 

 starting or spreading. Protection of forest property against fire 

 hazards which do not result from action or negligence of the owners 

 should as a rule, be a responsibility of the public. An owner of a 

 forest, or any other sort of property, who pays taxes, is entitled to 

 protection against damage by outside agencies, at public expense. 



PROTECTION AGAINST INSECTS AND DISEASE 



In the case of serious insect or disease infestations which threaten 

 to spread to the forests of others, the State forester or other official 

 should be authorized to prescribe preventive or control measures, 

 where effective measures are known, and to require the interested 

 owners to cooperate in their execution, up to a specified maximum 

 cost per acre. 



