1506 



A NATIONAL PLAN FOR AMERICAN FORESTRY 



needs of the land added. The estimated cost to complete the plant- 

 ing called for under the present Forest Service program will be approxi- 

 mately $21,000,000. 



TABLE 8. Present national-forest program of area to be planted by 1950 



SEED TESTING AND CERTIFICATION 



Forest planting on the scale proposed and by many agencies 

 both public and private must be protected against the use of seed of 

 poor quality or unsuited to the locality where it is to be planted. 

 While compulsory seed certification is not contemplated, those agen- 

 cies desiring to use high quality seed should be able to look to some 

 official source for insurance against misrepresentation. This service 

 should be extended as a form of public aid and, for reasons previously 

 given, should be centered in the Forest Service of the Federal Gov- 

 ernment. It is similar to the market inspection now made of farm 

 products and annually provided for in the Agricultural Appropriation 

 Act. 



The service to be given should (1) provide an official seed labora- 

 tory in which seed would be tested for germination under controlled 

 conditions and for purity, (2) provide, through the field forces of the 

 Forest Service ancf cooperating agencies, for official registration of 

 seed houses and certification of their seed as to species, elevation and 

 geographic location of individual seed sources, and date of collection, 

 (3) provide a central agency through which all imported tree seed for 

 other than experimental planting must pass for certification. 



The cost of such service will be very small and should be borne by 

 the Federal Government as an incentive to increased reforestation. 

 An appropriation of $50,000 per year will cover the cost of this service. 



DIVISION OF RESPONSIBILITY 



The division of responsibility for planting by ownership classes is 

 greatly complicated by the existing ownership situation. Of the area 

 in immediate need of planting (25,525,000 acres) only 2,100,000 acres 

 are now in Federal ownership and probably not more than an equal 

 amount is held by other public agencies. At least five sixths of the 

 area is therefore in private ownership. The extent to which the 

 ownership obstacle is overcome will determine in large measure the 

 degree to which the recommended program is accomplished. 



PRIVATE RESPONSIBILITY 



Under existing conditions private effort in planting will depend 

 entirely on self-interest which in most instances will be inseparably 

 linked with early financial profits. 



