percent extensive. In the South, about 32 percent 
is intensively managed and about 60 percent ex- 
tensively managed.*1 
In the West, where almost three-fourths of the 
commercial acreage of the national forests is lo- 
cated, intensive timber management has hardly 
begun. Eighty-one percent is under extensive man- 
agement. The rest is mostly in working circles 
where cutting has not been feasible. Most of the 
extensive management on national forests is charac- 
terized by good cutting practices. 
Of the private lands, those held by large in- 
dustrial owners show better management than do 
those heid by small nonindustrial and farm owners. 
Seventy percent of the pulp-company lands are un- 
der management; but this can be said of little more 
than one-third of the lumber-company lands and 
only one-fifth of the other nonfarm and farm wood- 
lands. ‘The low rating for small owners is mainly 
because of poor cutting practices. 
In the South only 19 percent of the private oper- 
ating acreage is under management, as compared 
with 32 percent in the North and 38 percent in 
the West (table 20). In all three sections more 
than three-fifths of the operating area would be 
disqualified for management because of poor cut- 
ting practices. But in the South poor fire protec- 
tion alone disqualifies an additional 17 percent. 
The foregoing helps to show where we stand 
now in timber management. Since comparable in- 
formation has not heretofore been obtained, we 
can draw few conclusions as to progress beyond cer- 
tain generalizations: 
As late as 1938 the Forest Service estimated that 
only about three-fifths of the commercial forest land 
in the national forests was in an active timber- 
operating status. But subsequently the strong de- 
mand for timber has enabled the Service to extend 
active timber management to about 88 percent of 
the commercial lands and to intensify management 
through timber-stand-improvement cuttings. Most 
of the nonoperating 12 percent is in the high moun- 
tains of the West. 
There are also clear indications of progress on 
the large holdings of lumber and pulp companies. 
The forest industries have the assuring of raw- 
material supply as an incentive and are in a key 
position for practicing and demonstrating good 
forestry. ‘They employed about 500 technical for- 
1National forests contain but 5.6 percent of the com- 
mercial forest in the North, and 5.5 percent in the South. 
Forests and National Prosperity 
esters in 1945 and now have many more. ‘They 
are making headway but have a long way to go. 
And they own only 15 percent of the private timber- 
land. 
TABLE 20.—Percent of private operating area with 
and without management, 1945 
: Without management 
Intensive 
and i 
Section extensive Poor 
manage- Poor cutting Poor 
ment cutting | and poor | protection 
protection 
Percent Percent Percent Percent 
19 21 43 17 
38 54 7 1 
Much less encouraging is the situation with re- 
spect to small holdings, both farm and nonfarm. 
Only about 18 percent of these are under extensive 
management and a negligible percent is under in- 
tensive management. Even the publicly supported 
fire-control programs, on which steady progress has 
been made, are notably deficient in the South and 
in the Central region, where more than 60 percent 
of the acreage in small holdings is found. 
Better management of forest lands is being fur- 
thered by various industry programs such as that 
of the American Forest Products Industries, the 
“Tree Farm” and “Keep Green” campaigns, and 
the efforts of the Southern Pulpwood Conservation 
Association. Publicly financed technical assistance 
in harvesting and marketing has been stepped up 
in recent years. All these are good so far as they 
go. But the job of reaching more than 4 million 
forest owners—of bringing the whole 345 million 
acres under good management—is big and difficult. 
Herein is one of the major challenges in American 
forestry. 
Forest practices that keep the land at least reason- 
ably productive are essential. “Though limited as 
yet, there is enough good private forestry in all 
regions and among all classes of owners to show 
that it is practicable—that it pays and is good busi- 
ness. Yet many private owners are badly handi- 
capped in practicing good forestry. And much 
remains to be done in fostering a better understand- 
ing of the opportunities in private forestry and of 
the need for good stewardship. It will take greatly 
increased public aid and encouragement to over- 
come these difficulties. 
51 
