A NATIONAL PLAN FOR AMERICAN FORESTRY 



1451 



It should be pointed out that no expenditure whatever for slash 

 disposal is necessary on by far the greater part of newly logged-over 

 lands in the East. Small cuttings, isolated cuttings, those in which 

 the utilization of top wood is very close or in which only a small 

 proportion of the trees are felled, are fairly sure to escape devastating 

 fires if the general fire protective system is good. 



There is no cost attached to regulating the number of livestock in 

 the farm woods. On those farms where the pasturage obtainable in 

 the woods is really needed it is obvious that the land is more valuable 

 for agriculture than for timber growing, and will eventually be 

 converted to the higher use. 



As in some other types, the greater variety of conditions in these 

 Eastern forest types makes a summary of costs rather meaningless. 

 The cheapest forest to keep productive after cutting is that with 

 abundant advance growth of good species; partial slash disposal is 

 the only real item of cost, and averages, where necessary at all, $2 

 an acre. Where seed trees must be left, and some girdling of un- 

 merchantable trees must be done, an additional $4 might be needed 

 or $6 an acre in all. 



NET COST OF PREVENTING DEVASTATION OF PRIVATE 



FOREST LANDS 



In table 1 are summarized the measures, in addition to general 

 fire protection, which have been described as necessary to keep forest 

 land productive. These measures, or others much more intensive 

 are already being taken on the national forests and most other publicly 

 owned land, and their cost, if any to the public, is absorbed in the cost 

 of general administration. The possible cost of putting the measures 

 into effect on all privately owned forest land in the United States is 

 estimated at $5,700,000. This is the possible approximate annual 

 bill which would be presented to the forest industries if public opinion 

 decrees that devastation of forest land in the United States must 

 cease. 



TABLE 1. Summary of modifications of or additions to usual practices (other than 

 general fire protection) necessary to stop forest devastation of private lands 



