1608 



A NATIONAL PLAN FOR AMERICAN FORESTRY 



TABLE 2. Estimated areas, and State and local government expenditures, involved 

 in 20-year program of State forest acquisition and administration 



i The areas covered by the acquisition program total about 90 million acres. 

 3 Includes 10 million acres of State forests now under administration. 



3 The program calls for a major capital investment for improvements and cultural measures amounting 

 to $2 per acre of the total area to be acquired. The portion of this investment to be made annually in- 

 creases to 10 percent in the seventh year and continues at that level through the thirteenth year. Addi- 

 tional capital investment of $1,000,000 for these purposes is allowed for annually thereafter. 



4 Since areas acquired in the first few years may consist largely of tax-reverted lands, the actual expendi- 

 tures for this period may be less than those shown here. 



Expenditures for acquisition have been based upon estimated 

 average costs of $3.23 per acre for 70 million acres in the East and 

 $1.60 per acre for 20 million acres in the West, these rates allowing 

 for gifts, for purchase at nominal prices, and for the low cost of 

 acquiring tax-reverted lands. 



The estimates of a capital investment of $2 per acre for improve- 

 ments and cultural measures and a current expenditure of 10 cents 

 per acre for protection and management were based upon national- 

 forest experience, the necessary data not being available for State 

 forests. It is expected that the major capital investment for admin- 

 istrative improvements and cultural measures will start more slowly 

 than acquisition but will eventually outdistance it as purchase areas 

 are blocked out and will come to an end in the thirteenth year. 

 Through the remainder of the 20-year program the expenditure for 

 these purposes is estimated at $1,000,000 annually. Since the State 

 program calls for reforestation of 13 million acres and there are 3 

 million acres of State land, the reforestation of which is not covered 

 by the $2 per acre capital investment, an additional capital investment 

 of $1,140,000 annually is required. The capital investment for the 10 

 million acres of State forests now under administration is assumed to 

 be complete. 



SUMMARY OF STATE EXPENDITURES 



Table 3 summarizes the estimated average annual expenditures for 

 a 20-year program of State forestry, by current expenses and capital 

 investment separated into four 5-year periods. 



The State and local government expenditures here proposed for 

 forestry shrink in significance when it is realized that the total 



