1620 A NATIONAL PLAN FOR AMERICAN FORESTRY 



PROTECTION AGAINST FIRE 



Protection against fire is particularly critical on about 30 million 

 acres in three important forest regions. Major conflagrations still 

 occur under adverse climatic conditions, are suppressed at great cost, 

 and with loss of public property and life. The average annual area 

 burned over should be reduced at the earliest possible date. 



Completion of an adequate fire-protection system, including the 

 construction of fire roads and trails and other fire improvements, 

 involves an estimated annual expenditure of $3,700,000 for fire roads 

 and trails programed for 10 years and $780,000 for other fire improve- 

 ments programed for 5 years. It is estimated that a progressive 

 annual increase in expenditure will be needed, beginning at $80,000 

 and continuing up to $625,000 the tenth year, for increased man power 

 in inaccessible areas to replace road and trail workers who were 

 available for protection during construction periods. This increased 

 expenditure for man power should continue after the tenth year at 

 the rate of $625,000. 



PROTECTION AGAINST DISEASE 



Of first importance in the program for protection against disease 

 is the control of the white-pine blister-rust, which attacks all of the 

 five needle pines. 



It is estimated that an increased annual expenditure of $1,700,000 

 will be required for about 5 years for adequate control work on 

 3 million acres in the West where the highest commercial values in 

 white and sugar pine are threatened. 



The bulk of this project is concentrated in the first 5-year period 

 beginning with 1935, because delay will jeopardize existing timber 

 values. 



PROTECTION AGAINST INSECTS 



Work now conducted must be permanently expanded to obtain 

 adequate current control of insect damage, to meet emergencies, and 

 prevent severe losses caused by epidemic insect attacks. This 

 involves an increase of $100,000 over present annual expenditures of 

 about $100,000. 



TIMBER MANAGEMENT 



Probable increases in the sale of timber on the national forests 

 during the next 20 years will, it is estimated, result in a material 

 increase of work, and will necessitate an increase in average annual 

 expenditures of $215,000. 



At the present time stand-betterment work, which is important in 

 placing the forest property in condition to yield maximum timber 

 supplies, is done only on going timber sales. There is no direct 

 expenditure for it. It is proposed to extend this work to areas 

 outside of the immediate timber-sale operations throughout the 

 20-year period. This would require an annual expenditure of at 

 least $1,000,000. 



The total planting program for the existing national forests is 

 2,100,000 acres, scheduled for the 20-year period. This will require 

 an increase of $840,000 over present annual expenditures. 



