FIFTH NATIONAL CONSERVATION CONGRESS 



56 



The following schedule of appropriations by the Federal Government and 

 by co-operating States is suggested, the amounts being made relatively small at 

 the outset to ensure a normal development and effective continuance of the 

 planting policy. 



Such a co-operative undertaking successfully carried out would ensure the 

 planting of over 20,000,000 acres, or over 50 per cent of our natural forest lands 

 now denuded and incapable of being regenerated naturally. The cost for 50 

 years is less than that for maintaining our military and naval organizations for 

 one year. Such extensive planting would encourage planting by long-lived cor- 

 porations and by private owners. Counties, towns and municipalities can be 

 assisted by the State. This would undoubtedly add several million additional 

 acres to those planted by the Federal and State governments. 



Planted forests of the next two decades would yield returns by the end of 

 the 50-year reforestation period. Eventually, under a rational forest management, 

 this 20,000,000 acres would yield 6,000,000,000 board feet per year, estimating 

 the ajinual yield per acre at only 300 board feet, a conservative figure. Such 

 returns would be of inestimable value to the whole nation during the last half of 

 this century when scarcity of wood will be most keenly felt. 



What the States Can Do. 



The policy of acquiring forest lands by the State, or denuded areas of non- 

 agricultural lands suitable for forest growth, is well established in many of our 

 States. An extension of that policy to other States in natural forest regions 

 and within States where it now exists is much to be desired. Such an extension 

 requires a more thorough classification of land and a more advanced forest 

 policy. States should ensure future supplies of timber by owning and managing 

 large areas and by reclaiming waste and denuded lands on a large scale. Federal 

 aid, whether by direct appropriation divided among co-operating States as 

 indicated above or in the form of a Federal loan, should be applied to extensive 

 planting on State lands. Federal and State work must be further supplemented 



