Nontimber Uses and Services of Forests . 
a 
Bettering the timber situation is only one facet 
of the many-sided task of making forests produce 
adequately. ‘They should be managed for water- 
shed protection. Also they should be improved 
and efficiently used for livestock range, for wild- 
life propagation, and for recreation. 
In general, what is done to assure the Nation’s 
_ wood supplies will enable the forests to yield more 
of other products and services. However, further- 
ing the nontimber contributions involves some 
problems that need additional attention, for they 
are an integral part of the forestry job lying ahead. 
Watershed Protection— A Prime Function 
of Forests 
Water and soil not only sustain forests but are, 
in turn, profoundly affected by them. This in- 
fluence extends far beyond forest land itself. Water 
is a product of most lands, and our 624 million 
acres of forests materially affect its disposition and 
usefulness. Moreover, forests are guardians of the 
soil, keeping it in place for productive purposes 
and out of streams and water-storage works where 
it is harmful. 
Water use and control have assumed great na- 
tional importance. One expression of this is the 
movement for regional development of natural 
resources, which is spearheaded by the widespread 
demand for better use of water resources. Another 
is the magnitude of investments and projected 
works to assure water supplies or to abate flood 
damage. ‘There is growing recognition of the flood 
menace. In 1936 this led to organic Federal legisla- 
tion that includes broad authority for watershed 
treatment in aid of flood control. 
Cities and communities everywhere face difficult 
problems of water supply. The per capita use of 
water in cities averages about 40 gallons a day. 
Industry uses huge quantities—3,600 gallons to 
make a ton of coke; up to a million gallons to 
make a ton of paper; and 70 gallons to make a 
806034°—49—7 
Forests and Natianal Prosperity 
Ke 
pound of finished woolens. Billions of dollars are 
invested in supply works and purification plants. 
It is a costly, relentless struggle to provide ample, 
dependable water supplies for growing communi- 
ties and industries. 
Water from forest watersheds also finds other 
essential uses—for navigation, for hydroelectric 
power, for irrigation of more than 21 million acres 
of arid cropland in the West. It lends charm and 
recreational value to the forest environment. All 
these uses are increasing and in the long run will 
have to be underwritten by good watershed man- 
agement. 
Destructive waters are of even more direct con- 
cern. Floods and water-borne sediments, originat- 
ing in many instances on abused forest, range, and 
farm lands, are exacting a heavy toll. They cause 
much human misery, loss of life, and about 100 
million dollars property damage annually. They 
also impair the usefulness of thousands of the 
Nation’s reservoirs which represent a total capital 
investment of more than 4.5 billion dollars. 
Watershed services in all parts of the country 
are below par. Forest fires are a major cause of 
unsatisfactory conditions. Overgrazing is also im- 
portant. It has damaged plant cover and soil on 
perhaps 20 percent of the forest land, especially in 
the West and North. In addition, sizable areas 
have been cleared for various uses, for roadways, 
and for other types of construction. 
Except in the virgin timberlands of the West, 
the greater part of the commercial forest acreage 
has been cut over—many areas several times. Poor 
practices which characterize more than half the 
timber cutting (see p. 46) are more than a threat 
to sustained timber output. They are leaving 
their mark on watersheds as well. 
The impact of all this is reflected in accelerated 
erosion, more damaging and more frequent floods, 
sedimentation, and impaired water supplies. It is 
clear that forest programs and management plans 
should give more attention to watershed aspects. 
69 
