A NATIONAL PLAN FOR AMERICAN FORESTRY 1601 



To meet its responsibilities, a State forestry organization must have 

 permanence, stability, authority, and freedom from political inter- 

 ference. Its policy must be sound and comprehensive; its financial 

 support. must be adequate and sustained. Its staff must be composed 

 largely of technically trained men of high ability and sincerity of 

 purpose. Lacking any of these essentials, it will inevitably fail to 

 achieve the objectives for which it should strive. 



Some few States now approach these requirements for forestry or- 

 ganization, and are making satisfactory progress consistent with their 

 past conception of their problems; but if they accept the responsibili- 

 ties of the forestry program now conceived to be necessary, they will 

 have to increase their efforts very considerably. Other States fall 

 far short of meeting the desired standards of forestry organization, in 

 many particulars. The only remedy lies in further legislation, spon- 

 sored by awakened public opinion. No State can hope to fulfill its 

 forestry responsibilities without a strong organization. 



THE PROGRAM FOR STATE AID IN FORESTRY 



The program for State aid in forestry differs in the various States, 

 just as forest problems vary in importance between regions. How- 

 ever, uniformity of attack by the individual States has been greatly 

 increased through Federal cooperation in State-aid activities. The 

 magnitude of the forest problem necessitates a very considerable ex- 

 pansion of the State-aid program. 



PROTECTION OF FORESTS FROM FIRE 



State responsibility for protection of forests from fire is generally 

 recognized, yet the States are providing organized protection for only 

 227.6 million acres, or 54 percent, of the 420 million acres of State 

 and private forest lands estimated to require it. It is estimated that 

 the annual cost of adequate fire protection for State and private forest 

 lands will ultimately amount to $20,000,000. State fire-pro tec tipn 

 activities should be expanded in the immediate future, with financial 

 aid from the Federal Government and in cooperation with private 

 landowners, to cover the entire area of State and private forest lands 

 requiring organized fire protection. For this reason early increases 

 are programmed in State fire-protection expenditures, including 

 needed capital investments. 



This (10-year) program contemplates an increase in State funds for 

 fire protection to $6,342,000 by 1944, with annual appropriations 

 averaging $4,391,000 for the 5 years 1935-39 and $5,762,000 for the 

 five years 1940-44. In 1932 all State expenditures for fire protection 

 amounted to only about $3,565,000. 



PROTECTION OF FOREST FROM INSECTS AND DISEASES 



The States should take a leading part in the control of injurious 

 forest insects and forest diseases, through cooperation with Federal 

 agencies in detecting infestations and epidemics, in inspecting nurser- 

 ies, and in enforcing necessary quarantines and other regulations. 



During 1932, approximately $1,320,000 was expended by the States 

 in forest-insect control. It is predicted that some increase in that 

 sum may be necessary within the next 5 years; unless extreme emer- 

 gencies occur, however, it is not anticipated that the total State con- 

 tribution needed in any one year will be in excess of $1,500,000. 



