ing stock and distributing it to local owners in the 

 State at cost. It should have charge of the acquisi- 

 tion and administration of State forests and of the 

 classification of receded tax lands to segregate areas 

 which should be incorporated in State forests. It 

 should unify in one body all forest activities of the 

 State. The make-up of this commission should repre- 

 sent the general public, its forest owners, its wood- 

 using industries, and other interests or organizations 

 concerned with timber production. 



STATE AND MUNICIPAL FORESTS 



Effective progress in restoring the enormous areas 

 of denuded land to timber growth can be made only 

 by largely increasing public forests. Supplementing 

 the policy of forest acquisition by the Federal Gov- 

 ernment, every State, including States in the prairie 

 regions, should acquire forest lands or lands adapted 

 to tree growth, and provide systematically for the 

 planting of such areas as will not otherwise rostock 

 with timber of valuable species. In the forest regions 

 State acquisition should be concentrated largely upon 

 cut-over lands not needed for other purposes. As a 

 part of this program, provision should be made for 

 the classification of lands owned by the State or ac- 

 quired through nonpayment of taxes or otherwise, 

 and for the segregation as permanent State forests of 

 areas best suited for growing timber or protecting 

 watersheds. 



State laws should encourage the acquisition of 

 forest lands by municipalities, to the end that public- 

 forest ownership may be extended by any agencies 

 capable of undertaking it. Public-forest ownership 



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