A NATIONAL PLAN FOR AMERICAN FORESTRY 1505 



average sites grows at the rate of about 400 board feet per acre per 

 year fully justifies planting. 



Nearly 4 million acres of the timberland is now poorly stocked or 

 barren; however, it is estimated that by natural restocking this acre- 

 age will be reduced to about 3 million acres by 1970. Planting sur- 

 veys of the poorly stocked land furnish the basis for recommending 

 planting on only 600,000 acres at the present time. The area recom- 

 mended includes only the better timber-producing land and largely 

 only those areas which are now considered accessible from a lumbering 

 standpoint. 



SOUTH ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGION 



The area of unproductive forest land in this region, which will not 

 restock naturally in the next 20 years, is in excess of 2 million acres. 

 A large part of this land has a present value as range for livestock and 

 under proper management can be permanently used for this purpose. 

 There is, however, a considerable area, mainly in Colorado, where 

 erosion on denuded forest lands is extremely serious and where this 

 condition can best be corrected by forest planting. 



Timber growth rate is relatively slow, hence planting primarily for 

 timber production should at present be restricted to those areas where 

 planting is clearly justified to supply the future needs of nearby cities 

 or intensively-used irrigation agricultural communities. 



The area recommended for planting is that included in the present 

 national-forest program plus the small additional areas which are 

 clearly desirable for farm woodlots and for improvement of watershed 

 conditions on other than federally owned land. 



ESTIMATED COSTS 



While the total cost to carry out the program recommended, as 

 shown in table 6, seems large it must be remembered that the burden 

 will be divided between many agencies. Farm woodlot owners, in- 

 dustrials, municipalities, counties, States, and the Federal Govern- 

 ment will each share in the work. The cost to each agency as shown 

 in table 8 will not be out of reason. It will be relatively small during 

 the first few years and will probably not exceed a total of $12,000,000 

 per year at any time. The average expenditure per year will be less 

 than $9,000,000 for all agencies during the 20-year period. 



As compared to the reduction in flood damage and control cost, 

 stream channel improvement costs, and the damage to the soil through 

 erosion, which can be prevented by forest planting, the costs of the 

 entire program seem small indeed. Costs chargeable to erosion, 

 through reductions in engineering works will be in effect self-liquidat- 

 ing, and these and other areas planted will go far in aiding in a solution 

 of the social problem which results from unwise land use and in meet 

 ing a future deficit in timber production. 



PRESENT NATIONAL-FOREST PROGRAM 



The present 20-year program of the Forest Service based on exist- 

 ing national-forest area rather than on the enlarged area which should 

 result from future land acquisition is given in table 8. As land is ac- 

 quired the acreage to be planted will have to be expanded to meet the 



