ucts, 
these projects was $439,341 and the States spent 
about 1 million dollars on this type of work. Simi- 
lar assistance, on a still smaller scale, is given by 
Soil Conservation Service foresters in cooperation 
with soil conservation districts and by other public 
foresters. 
The Norris-Doxey Act, authorizing aid in the 
growing, harvesting, and marketing of forest prod- 
is restricted to farms. The million small 
nonfarm owners, who own almost as much forest 
land as the farmers, are in equal need of such tech- 
nical aid, but are reached only in small measure 
under general authorization; and corresponding 
service is not available to processors. For example, 
the waste and inefficiency commonly associated with 
small mills, of which there are over 40,000, could 
be greatly reduced through technical assistance in 
selection of equipment, mill lay-out and arrange- 
ment, procurement of raw material, and operating 
and marketing methods. Technical advice would 
also lead to greater efficiency in the use of wood 
in building construction and in countless other 
types of use. 
Such public aid to small owners and operators 
is essential. They are seldom able to pay full com- 
mercial rates for needed services. Moreover, there 
are not enough private consultants to cover the 
field. Public aid, by demonstrating the values of 
technical advice, has been found to benefit rather 
than interfere with private consulting services. 
An adequate program of this kind would involve 
woodland management projects embracing some 
2,000 counties, with a resident forester in charge 
of each project and, in addition, a corps of 200 to _ 
300 utilization and other specialists. Generally 
speaking, this would be a cooperative program 
administered by the States with Federal expendi- 
ture in any State matched by State expenditure for 
the same purpose. 
In addition to broadening to include processing, 
the present scattered authority for this action pro- 
gram would be greatly strengthened and clarified 
by new legislation focusing directly on it. 
2. Educational and demonstrational work in for- 
estry should be strengthened. 
As an essential complement to the preceding ac- 
tion or service type of work, Federal, State, and 
private agencies should carry out an aggressive 
campaign of education and demonstration through 
group meetings, pamphlets, radio and news re- — 
leases, feature articles, motion pictures, and other 
appropriate means to develop interest and appreci- 
Forests and National Prosperity 
ation by forest landowners and mill men as to the 
opportunities and advantages of sound forestry 
and processing methods. Forest extension is needed 
also to give the public, including farm youth, an 
understanding of the place of forest conservation 
in the economy of the Nation. 
The Federal and State agricultural extension 
services have a key position in this educational 
work. At present these agencies in 45 States and 
2 territories employ only 65 extension foresters. 
The Federal appropriation for fiscal year 1948 of 
$106,343 for this work was more than matched by 
the States. Other agencies of the Department of 
Agriculture also participate in some aspects of 
such work. Much good work is being done by 
private agencies. ‘There is strong need for stepping 
up such activity by all agencies concerned. 
3. Forest planting on private forest land should 
be greatly accelerated. 
This measure is directed mainly to the problem 
of the 62 million acres of private forest land either 
denuded or so poorly stocked as to be practically 
idle, and to the additional millions of acres that 
should be converted to forest use. With adequate 
protection some will stock naturally, but a very 
large proportion should be planted. 
Prior to 1947 only about 214 million acres of 
private land had been successfully planted. In 
1947 about 114,000 acres were planted. 
Forest planting—the procurement of planting 
stock and its actual planting—is expensive. Except 
for some large owners and a few cooperative ven- 
tures, private forest planting has been almost 
wholly contingent upon getting planting stock 
from the States at a nominal price. Making stock 
available at, say, half of the actual cost to produce 
has proved a powerful stimulant, particularly as 
many small owners use their own labor in planting. 
The demand for planting stock under such terms 
far exceeds the supply. 
The Federal Government participates in a small 
way financially insofar as the program applies to 
farmer landowners under the authority of Section 
4 of the Clarke-McNary Act and the Norris-Doxey 
Act. This program is supplemented by other pub- 
lic and private agencies and particularly by the 
Soil Conservation Service in erosion control and in 
shelter-belt planting in the Prairie-Plains States. 
The work of all agencies needs to be greatly ac- 
celerated. 
Forest planting can be especially stimulated by 
broadening the terms of Section 4 of the Clarke- 
