1516 



A NATIONAL PLAN FOE AMERICAN FORESTRY 



blocked as public forests, and the public should assume the full 

 responsibility of ownership. Trees should be planted on them if 

 necessary, fire protection should be provided, and such practices as 

 promiscuous cutting or too heavy grazing use should be prohibited. 



Where the financial burden of properly caring for these lands is 

 too heavy for the resources of the local government, the larger block 

 at least should be taken over and managed by the State. Some of 

 the lands are so located that it would be logical to include them in 

 national forests or, where suitable, in national parks. 



STATE 



State-owned forest lands total more than 13 million acres, including 

 4,395,549 acres ^of State forests, 2,682,509 acres of State parks, and 

 6,140,106 acres in other status. 



In the Pacific Coast and Rocky Mountain States, State ownership 

 generally goes back to Federal land grants made without regard to 

 the major purpose which the land should serve. In New England 

 and the Middle Atlantic States, State ownership has more often 

 resulted from direct acquisition and in some instances is based in 

 part on watershed-protection needs. In some regions, including the 

 Lake States, State ownership has resulted in part through Federal 

 grant, in part through purchase, and in part through tax delinquency. 

 Obviously, in such cases watershed value was not the primary basis 

 of selection. Table 3 shows by regions the watershed-protective 

 influence of forest lands in State, municipal, and county ownership. 



TABLE 3. Watershed-protective influence of forests on State, county, and municipal 



lands 



Most State lands organized as State forests or parks are so managed 

 and protected that watershed values are maintained and improved. 

 In some Eastern States cutting is closely supervised, grazing is re- 

 stricted, fire is virtually excluded, and most of the denuded areas 

 have been planted. In some States, because of lack of interest in 

 State forests, protection is inadequate, grazing and cutting are vir- 



