1552 A NATIONAL PLAN FOR AMERICAN FORESTRY 



is in farm woodlands, and 294 million acres or 48 percent is in other 

 private holding. 



In the East private ownership comprises about 95 percent of the 

 forest area at present and must therefore be depended upon to a 

 corresponding degree to support wild life. Game birds such as quail, 

 grouse, and pheasants, insectivorous birds, and small game animals, 

 particularly rabbits, are readily sheltered in farm woods and other 

 private holdings. The larger private holdings meet to a considerable 

 degree the requirements for the large game animals, and here the 

 demand for lease or purchase of hunting privileges may be largely 

 met. Where public lands are very limited, it may be possible for 

 the State, through lease or other control of these privately owned 

 forests to establish public hunting grounds, to reserve areas for 

 scientific study, or to arrange for public recreation grounds. 



In the West, privately owned forest lands amount to 63,935,000 

 acres or 30 percent of a total forest land area of 214,082,000 acres. 

 Together with public lands they will meet the general forest-land 

 requirements for wild life. 



ON STATE, COUNTY, AND MUNICIPAL FOREST LANDS 



The 17,421,000 acres of State, county, and municipal forest lands 

 in the United States 10,912,000 acres is in the East, and 6,568,000 

 in the West forms so small percentage of the total forested area as 

 to be relatively unimportant in meeting general forest-habitat 

 requirements of game. However, requirements for wild life in parks 

 and zoological gardens can be met almost entirely on such forest 

 lands. State and county forest lands will also aid materially in 

 meeting total area requirements for special wild life purposes. State 

 and county holdings are now insufficient to provide adequate areas 

 to meet demands for public hunting grounds. Present areas should 

 be used to the fullest possible extent for this purpose and the question 

 should also receive consideration in the management of future 

 enlargements of State and county forest land areas. 



ON FEDERALLY OWNED OR CONTROLLED LANDS 



Federally owned or controlled forest lands, comprising an area of 

 152,721,000 acres or about 25 percent of the total forest land area of 

 the United States 143,579,000 acres is in the West, and 9,142,000 

 acres in the East are of material importance in fulfilling general 

 forest land requirements of game. 



In the West federally owned or controlled lands are adequate for 

 the best development of the wild-life resources; they supply public 

 hunting grounds for all game with the exception of migratory birds; 

 and they meet special wild-life needs, supplying areas to be devoted 

 to the preservation of wild-life species, to wild-life development 

 projects, and to the promotion of aesthetic enjoyment of wild life 

 as in national parks and monuments. 



The 26,311,000 acres now used in meeting special needs of wild 

 life is doubtless, subject to adjustments as to location in some cases, 

 sufficient to meet the requirements. 



In the East, Federal lands form so small a percentage of the total 

 forest land area as to be incapable of fulfilling area requirements for 

 wild-life on anything like the extensive scale possible in the West, 



