ductive condition. Public regulation to prevent de- 

 struction by forest fire lias widespread approval. Pub- 

 lic control to prevent destruction by improper cutting 

 and other destructive practices on private land is 

 equally essential. Action along this line has been 

 recommended by the Department of Agriculture, and 

 by a Joint Congressional Committee appointed to study 

 the forest problem. 3 



Current discussion centers largely around what form 

 such control should take — whether direct regulation of 

 timber cutting and other closely related practices by 

 the Federal Government, or control by the individual 

 States. Federal regulation is generally opposed by the 

 organized forest-products industry. It is obvious, how- 

 ever, that no regulatory measure can be effective for 

 the country as a whole without over-all Federal leader- 

 ship in setting the basic standards of forest practice 

 and of enforcement. The Forest Service also believes 

 Federal cooperation in financing the cost of admin- 

 istration to be advisable. 



To assure satisfactory standards of forest regulation 

 and Nation-wide application, basic Federal legislation 

 would be required. Such legislation would set up certain 

 broad standards of forest practice, such as prohibiting 

 stripping the land of every usable tree, except under 

 special circumstances ; prohibiting premature or waste- 

 ful cutting in young stands; providing for protection 

 against fire, insects, and disease, and regulating grazing 

 to prevent damage to trees and to protect the watershed ; 

 and providing for the reservation of sufficient growing 

 stock of desirable trees to keep the lands reasonably 

 productive. 



Under such a plan, if States did not within a reason- 

 able length of time enact and carry out satisfactory 

 regulatory measures, the Federal Government would act 

 directly to undertake regulation within those States. 



Specific rules of forest practice would be formulated 

 with the help of local advisory boards so as to meet the 



3 United States Congress,, Senate, Joint Committee on Forestry, 

 forest lands of the united states. 77th Cong., 1st sess., Sen. Doc. 

 32. 1941. 



17 



