32 APPALACHIAN AND WHITE MOUNTAIN WATEB8HEDS. 



While the lands shown on the map are all in need of protection, 

 they are not all of equal importance when all economic points of view 

 are considered. 



Tlie lands to ie classed as of first importance include tTie mountain 

 ridges mainly, hut extend considerable distances down the slopes in those 

 localities where the soil is particularly subject to erosion and on the 

 watersheds of streams of greatest importance for water power or naviga- 

 tion. The area of such lands does not exceed 5,000,000 acres. 



The same class of land for the White Mountain region is shown 

 in Map II. It lies in both New Hampshire and Maine. Excluding 

 the numerous bodies of water, their area in New Hampshire is 

 1,457,000 acres, and in Maine 700,000 acres, making a total of 

 2,157,000 acres. The proportion in which this falls in the five water 

 systems included is as follows: 



1 , Acres. 



Connecticut 429, 000 



Merrimac 264, 000 



Saco 332, 000 



Androscoggin 1, 002, 000 



Kennebec 130, 000 



Total 2, 157, 000 



There is also shown on this map an area embracing only the four 

 main ranges of the White Mountains. A few thousand acres of this 

 area lie in Maine. All the rest is in New Hampshire. This principal 

 White Mountain area covers 668,000 acres, and, considering all economic 

 points of view, is the most important part of the region. 



TREATMENT OF THE REGION. 



The areas indicated in the preceding section, 23,310,000 acres in 

 the Southern Appalachians and 2,157,000 acres in the White Moun- 

 tains, do not include all the mountainous timberlands of the Appa- 

 lachians. As is discussed under the heading "Importance of Appa- 

 lachian forests for hardwood supply," there are probably 75,000,000 

 acres in this mountain system more important for timber production 

 than for any other purpose. This area will have to be given protec- 

 tion before the hardwood supply is on a safe footing and before the 

 watersheds of the important streams are adequately safeguarded. 



It is an enormous undertaking to bring this immense area of 

 75,000,000 acres under proper conditions of protection and use. If 

 the Government owned the land, the problem would be a compara- 

 tively simple one under our present forest policy. The Government 

 owns almost none of it, and it can not be expected to undertake the 

 purchase of such an area which at present prices would amount to 

 many millions of dollars. 



The land is owned by individuals or companies whose chief interest 

 is immediate profit. Considering past and present conditions one is 

 forced to the conclusion that the individual holders are not going to 

 manage these lands in a way commensurate with public welfare. On 

 account of the difficulty of protecting them from fire, and on account 

 of the high tax rates which are common on cut-over timberlands, the 

 owners consider that it does not pay them to do so. 



