A NATIONAL PLAN FOR AMERICAN FORESTRY 1399 



TABLE 3. Indexes of effective fire control for various forest types 



TABLE 4. Objectives in fire control on national forest and State and private-forest 



land, by regions 



The objectives in fire control, as indicated in tables 3 and 4, vary 

 not only from region to region but also for different sections within a 

 given region, as determined by forest type. Thus in New England, 

 whereas only 0.16 percent of the area as a whole can be allowed to 

 burn over annually without seriously or permanently disturbing a 

 growing forest, burns in northern hardwoods may safely reach 0.2 

 percent, or in noncommercial forest 2 percent. In the South the 

 objective in fire control, expressed as 0.9 percent of allowable burn 

 annually for national-forest areas and 1.34 percent for the territory 

 outside the national forests, may in different types vary from 0.2 to 

 3 percent. The comparatively high percentage of annual allowable 

 burn in the South is due to the fact that fires in this region affect the 

 forest less harmfully than elsewhere. 



As explained previously, these objectives are the best determinable 

 approximations in the light of present information, and are subject 

 to revision as better basic data become available. Differentiations 

 in objectives will undoubtedly be set up as between areas placed 

 under intensive management and culture and those that are to be 

 treated extensively. The trend will very likely be toward higher 

 standards and reduction in the area of allowable annual burn. 



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