A NATIONAL I'LA.V FOU A M KKIf'A N I ( .1: 1 ./TRY 

 COOPERATION 



Public cooperation \\it.b private owncis on ji voluntary basis is flic 

 approach that luis been followed in this country to date. By publi'- 



financial aid the owner is encouraged to meet acceptable' standards. 



That this method has failed is clc;ir from flic f;ict th;it today, after 



morn than 20 years' effort, 46 percent of flic, private forest land is 



without- organized fire protection and little, more than 2 percei 

 handled in JL way that promotes natural reproduction. In some 



States the priyateowners are indifferent to tlie need for fire protection. 

 Private contributions in the \Vestarealmostexclusivelyforprotection 

 of virgin timber rather than for maintaining a satisfactory cover 

 on cut-over land. 



If satisfactory watershed management is to be had by this method, 

 much, and perhaps most, of the cost of management will have to be 

 borne by the public. Fin; protection, except on virgin timberland, 

 w r ill be principally at public, expense. Reforestation of large areas of 

 devastated forest and submarginal farm binds will have to be under- 

 taken or heavily subsidized by the public, and special measures, some- 

 times costly, will ha vc to be taken, with little or no cost to the owner. 

 Such action, without definite assurance that the land will be perma- 

 nently managed in such a way as to protect the public investment, has 

 little to recommend it. 



REGULATION 



Private ownership with public regulation of use is the second possi- 

 ble solution. This approach is common in European countries. 

 The cost would be even heavier than under the cooperative plan. 

 With land abandonment now common, it seems clear that the addition 

 of any expense or of any restrictions on use would simply speed up 

 this trend and result in much needless friction. Like all regulatory 

 measures, this system would depend for its success on public senti- 

 ment. Past experiences do not permit optimism with regard to the 

 functioning of unpopular legislation. Regulatory forest laws have 

 been enacted by most of the States, but they do not have adequate 

 public support and have not in general been effectively enforced. 



PUBLIC OWNERSHIP 



Public ownership and management of major-influence forest land 

 that can be blocked up for satisfactory administration and of agricul- 

 tural land highly subject to erosion is the third possibility. Obvi- 

 ously it is unnecessary to propose public ownership of land in these 

 classifications that, because of timber or other values, will be managed 

 reasonably well in private ownership. This method would accom- 

 plish by direct action what the alternative methods would attempt to 

 bring about through indirection. Under this method the public 

 would of course pay all the cost of management and protection; it 

 would receive, however, not only the benefit of improved watersheds 

 but the more tangible benefits accruing through sale of forest 

 and range products. In the long run the projects would be self- 

 liquidating. 



Public acquisition of major-influence watershed lands appears to be 

 the most logical solution. Present trends indicate that the cost per 

 acre would be low. Federal, State, county, and municipal govern- 



