12 



Three-fourths of the approximately 462,000,000 acres of commercial 

 timberland in the United States, or 341,000,000 acres, are now in 

 private ownership. These are the most valuable and productive of 

 all forest lands. From them has come more than 95 percent of all 

 the lumber and timber produced. And since they have been ' 'mined," 

 they are the lands which have suffered most. Ownership of these 

 lands is not stable. In fact, available data indicate a national, long- 

 time tax delinquency of at least 50,000,000 acres. This threatens 

 the economic stability of farming, manufacturing, and local govern- 

 ment. And until denuded lands again produce forest crops, they 

 can neither adequately protect important watersheds nor help the 

 stranded communities which once depended upon them for a livelihood. 



Recognizing this situation, Congress in 1911 passed what is popu- 

 larly known as the Weeks law. It provides for Federal acquisition 

 of forest lands for the protection of the headwaters of navigable 

 streams, subject to approval by the National Forest Reservation 

 Commission. In 1924, by the terms of the Clarke-McNary law, the 

 original authority was broadened to include purchase of land for 

 timber production as well as for stream-flow protection. Acquisition 

 of land for national-forest purposes was first financed by regular 

 appropriations, but in 1933 emergency funds were made available for 

 this purpose and purchases were greatly speeded up. Prior to 1933 

 Federal acquisition of forest lands had totaled less than 550,000 

 acres in any 1 year. Within a 12-month period in 1933-34, more 

 than 4,000,000 acres were acquired or placed under contract of sale 

 to the Federal Government, and the accelerated program continued 

 through 1936. In the period since the Weeks law was passed, the 

 Forest Service, acting as the executive agency, has recommended, and 

 the National Forest Reservation Commission has approved, proposals 

 to purchase about 17,000,000 acres. 



As optioned, these lands have been added to the national-forest 

 system, then put under protection and administration. Through fire 

 control, improvement work, and planting made possible by regular 

 and emergency appropriations, areas once largely denuded are being 

 brought back to productivity. Full- or part-time jobs are thus avail- 

 able to local people who might otherwise be on relief rolls. On areas 

 thus purchased, 1 Forest Service nurseries, where trees for field plant- 

 ing are raised, are now capable of producing at least 150,000,000 trees 

 annually. 



Up to a few years ago, almost all forest-land acquisition by pur- 

 chase was confined to the territory east of the Rocky Mountains, 

 where the proportion of privately owned forest land is high, and that 

 of national-forest land low, as compared to Western States. It 

 largely had been confined, also, to lands that did not bear merchant- 

 able timber at the time of purchase. Recent conditions have indi- 

 cated the wisdom of applying a portion of such funds as may be 

 available to the purchase of forest lands — in the West as well as the 

 East — on which there is now merchantable timber. Such a course 

 will make it possible to practice immediate sustained yield on demon- 

 stration areas and acquisition of key tracts will in some cases help 

 stabilize forest industries and communities by early application of 

 sustained -yield management to economic units which might other- 

 wise be privately operated on a cut-out-and-get-out basis. It will 



1 In the eastern, southern, and north-central regions of the Forest Service. 



