1604 A NATIONAL PLAN FOR AMERICAN FORESTRY 



ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS NEEDED 



The 6 million acres of State-owned forest lands not under adminis- 

 tration are scattered through all parts of the country, but the major 

 areas are located in the West. These consist largely of Federal grants 

 of forest land which the States have not placed under administration, 

 or for which present State policies of administration fail to insure 

 satisfactory permanent forest management. In many instances the 

 unadministered State lands consist of scattered sections which should 

 be blocked together by land exchange, or built up into sizable admin- 

 istrative units by further acquisition. The determination of logical 

 administrative units and the blocking of State-owned forest land, as 

 far as practicable, into such units, is of immediate importance in 

 obtaining effective State-forest management and administration. 



In addition to the estimated 20 to 30 million acres of tax-delinquent 

 and abandoned private forest lands already reverting to the public, 

 there is little doubt that involuntary public ownership is pending for 

 a much larger forest area. In some States title to tax-reverted land 

 is vested in the county or local government; in others, in the State 

 itself. In all instances, solution of the forest problem represented by 

 these lands requires a recognition of public ownership responsibility, 

 and legislative authority for placing the lands suitable for public 

 management under permanent administration by the most appro- 

 priate public agency. Provision should be made for returning to 

 private ownership those lands better suited to private than to public 

 ownership and administration. 



The classification " State-owned forest lands" includes State 

 forests, parks, game refuges and other wild-life areas, county and 

 municipal forests and parks, and institutional forest lands. Many 

 departments of State and local government participate in the admin- 

 istration and cooperate in the management of these lands. Certain 

 of these areas have chiefly local values; others provide widespread 

 benefits. The interest of public efficiency and economy is best served 

 when all efforts connected with administering State-owned forest 

 lands is closely coordinated under the leadership of a State forestry 

 or conservation department. 



STATE ACQUISITION OF FOREST LANDS 



State forests have been defined as areas specifically set aside or 

 established by legislation contemplating their permanent retention 

 and administration by the State for forest purposes and organized in 

 definite administrative units. Under multiple-use management State 

 forests may provide a variety of local benefits and uses, and at the 

 same time contribute very greatly to the forestry needs of the State 

 and Nation. To meet the requirements of a satisfactory national 

 forestry program, it has been estimated that the States should acquire 

 90 million acres of land for State forests. Of this total, 70 million 

 acres should be acquired by the States east of the Great Plains, and 

 20 million acres should be acquired by the Western States. The area 

 proposed for acquisition is approximately nine times the area of the 

 State-owned forest lands now under administration. 



A considerable portion of this total area will undoubtedly come 

 into State ownership through tax delinquency, as sizable areas have 

 already done in some regions. The total expense of this State acqui- 

 sition program is estimated at $224,000,000 in the East and $32,000,000 



