



' 

 THE STATE FORESTS 



Publicly owned forests have been in existence in Europe for 

 centuries, but only within the last twenty years have the American 

 commonwealths acquired state forests. 



In 1915 the General Assembly of Ohio authorized the purchase 

 of state forests, and appropriated $10,000 for the purpose. Follow- 

 ing the authorization, two tracts, Waterloo Forest of 221^ acres in 

 Athens County and Dean Forest of 1,500 acres in Lawrence County, 

 were acquired at an average cost of $5.00 per acre. 



In 1921 the General Assembly appropriated $50,000 for acqui- 

 sition of land under the state forest law. With these funds a 5,000 

 acre tract in Scioto County has been acquired, and 2,000 acres has 

 been approved for purchase in Ross County. With the remaining 

 funds available, it is planned to secure an additional 1,200 acres ad- 

 jacent to the Ross County purchase. Ohio's state forests will 

 therefore total in area nearly 10,000 acres, acquired at a cost of ap- 

 proximately $5.50 per acre. 



The lands acquired may be classed as non-agricultural, suitable 

 in most part only for timber growing. Some portions contain good 

 stands of second growth timber. On Waterloo Forest the timber is 

 sufficient in quantity and quality to cover the original cost of the 

 tract. The abandoned fields and open areas are being planted to 

 forest trees, and the native woodlands managed in a manner to se- 

 cure the greatest sustained yield of timber. 



The uses and purposes of the state forest are numerous. They 

 are an important part of the lands that will form the reservoir of 

 Ohio's future timber supply. They serve as experimental areas, 

 and for the purpose of demonstrating the best methods of forestry 

 practice for the private timberland owner. They form a part of 

 the great chain of protective forests now being acquired by the 

 Federal Government in the Appalachian Mountains for the pro- 

 tection of the Ohio River drainage system. They are in effect 

 natural parks and recreation centers for the use of the public. 

 They wall be used for game propagation and refuge purposes, and 

 for the conservation of all wild life, both vegetable and animal. 



Ohio's forestry program should provide for the acquisition of 

 200,000 acres of state forests. This area is available for the pur- 

 pose and contains in large part fair second growth now being devas- 

 tated by fires and unsystematic management. The acquisition 

 policy will stimulate good forestry practice, and in itself will con- 

 tribute a share toward the much needed timber supply. 



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