FOREST POLICY. 



IIS 



(t) 



The states have not availed themselves of the opportunity 

 to manage their lands conservatively, whenever such lands 

 consisted of soil unfit for agriculture. 



State forests have been formed almost exclusively through 

 the purchase of private land and not by the retention of vacant 

 land ; whilst national forests have been formed by the retention 

 of vacant land, and not by purchase. 



State forests are found in the East alone ; national forests 

 alone in the West (exc. Florida). 



Vast tracts of absolute forest land lying unproductive are 

 found, notably, in the Gulf states and in the Atlantic Coast 

 states, from Delaware southward ; also in the Lake states. The 

 southern states are and will be for a long time too poor 

 for the establishment of state forest reserves, or, as far as that 

 goes, for any action in state forestry requiring any outlay 

 whatsoever. 



By the School Land laws, every public land state comes into 

 possession of sections 16 and 36 in every town of the state. 



Private land within a state forfeited for non-payment of taxes 

 reverts to the state; such land is, however, usually claimed by 

 the counties as well; and a clear title cannot be obtained, by 

 prospective purchasers or by the state, owing to the lack of 

 systematic laws. 



(f) The Michigan Public Domain Commission speaks, in 191 1, of 277,000 

 acres of state forest reserves. 



8* 



