A NATIONAL PLAN FOE AMERICAN FORESTRY 1605 



in the West, on the basis of the assumption that the costs per acre 

 will average $3.23 and $1.60 in the two regions, respectively. 



Approximately 10 million acres of State forest lands are now under 

 administration, and the acquisition program here suggested contem- 

 plates a total of 100 million acres at the end of 20 years. An average 

 rate of 5 percent of the total program per year is recommended, as in 

 the case of Federal acquisition, with equal progress in the East and 

 in the West. This would add 4.5 million acres per year to the State 

 forests, at an expense of $12,800,000 divided among the States par- 

 ticipating in the program. 



In some instances the present condition of State finances may pre- 

 vent immediate initiation of an acquisition program of this size; in 

 many States the immediate requirement is legislative authority for 

 permanent public ownership and administration of the millions of 

 acres of abandoned and tax-reverting forest lands, and of the State- 

 owned forest lands not under administration at present. The use of 

 public funds for the constructive development of forest resources is 

 recognized as a productive undertaking that may contribute greatly 

 to unemployment relief during the present emergency. 



ADMINISTRATION AND MANAGEMENT OF STATE FORESTS 



The purposes, uses, and benefits of public forests, as well as their 

 management, have been thoroughly discussed in other sections of 

 this report. Here it is sufficient to state that the costs of acquiring 

 and administering such forests may be partly balanced, and in some 

 instances exceeded, by the ultimate cash returns from their manage- 

 ment, not to mention the great although more or less intangible 

 values that accrue to the public in watershed protection, stream flow 

 and erosion control, wild-life perpetuation, recreation, and community 

 development. 



Cost data pertaining specifically to State forests are not available. 

 Experience in administering the national forests has shown that pub- 

 lic forests may require a capital investment of $2 per acre for adminis- 

 trative improvements such as buildings and transportation systems 

 and for cultural measures of silvicultural management and reforesta- 

 tion. An additional charge of about 10 cents per acre per year is 

 required for protection and current management expenses. On this 

 basis, for the 4.5 million acres of State forests to be acquired annually 

 the average capital investment would amount to about $9,000,000 

 and the current administration expenses to about $450,000. 



Although much of the land to be acquired for State forests is now 

 tax delinquent, in establishing State forests it is often necessary to 

 provide some financial return to the local tax unit for lands with- 

 drawn permanently from taxation. This is taken care of in part by 

 relieving local government of certain improvement or maintenance 

 costs, as for roads. In some States a fixed sum is paid annually to 

 the local unit in lieu of taxes ; in others a certain portion of the annual 

 income from the forest is paid, as is done in the case of the national 

 forests. In many instances an equitable arrangement may consist of 

 a plan combining all these methods. 



