1500 



A NATIONAL PLAN FOR AMERICAN FORESTRY 



to which its original productivity is restored. Idleness will not 

 greatly increase soil fertility while use of the land for forestry, even 

 though temporary, will build up the organic content and thus the 

 fertility of the soil. That this is true has been demonstrated in 

 many parts of the South and elsewhere. 



While all of the unproductive land should ultimately be put to 

 beneficial use, the acreage recommended for immediate utilization 

 will be limited to that which will meet the timber requirements and 

 will at the same time meet the present critical watershed situation. 

 With the completion of the initial program, which follows, it will no 

 doubt be desirable to continue the work on about the same scale 

 until all of the land under discussion that has commercial timber- 

 growing possibilities has been put to its highest use. To plant the 

 25 million acres in 20 or 30 years will tax the resources of all agen- 

 cies concerned to the utmost. 



THE INITIAL STEP A 20-YEAR PROGRAM 



The situation described in this and other sections of this report 

 clearly calls for aggressive action in largely expanding the work under 

 way in forest planting. The initiation of such an expanded program 

 for the immediate iuture must, as stated previously, be based on the 

 urgency of the work in each region and on the size of the area which 

 should be reclaimed finally. With these facts in mind the program 

 recommended in table 7 and illustrated in figure 1 has been built up. 

 It is based on the best judgment of State Foresters, land economists, 

 Federal forest officers, soils experts, and others who have knowledge 

 of conditions in the different regions. 



TABLE 7. A 



planting program details of areas to be planted and probable 

 costs, by regions 



1 The cost of trees and planting to public agencies only. 



2 Private planting costs lower than public planting due to Federal and State aid. For further details as 

 to the derivation of these figures see table 8. 



Along with the actual planting must go comprehensive land classi- 

 fication or an equivalent and land use planning to assist in the selec- 

 tion of those lands which should be permanently removed from 

 agricultural use either because of their submarginal character or 

 because of the probability that continued cultivation will destroy 

 their value through erosion. Several States, including Wisconsin, 

 New York, Michigan, and Illinois have already made substantial 

 progress. This work should be speeded up. Areas whereon crop 



