36 MISC. PUBLICATION 162. U. S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE 



region, and in short, make that part of the country a better place in 

 which to live. 



In 1942 the shelterbelt planting program in the Plains region 

 was transferred to the Soil Conservation Service. 



Commercial Forestry 



Commercial or industrial forestry is the business of growing timber 

 as a crop to supply industrial needs. In the past, few of the private 

 concerns which had extensive forest holdings did more than exploit 

 their mature timber, and gave little heed to the permanent production 

 of the raw materials necessary for the continuance of their operations. 



That some degree of forest culture be given the forest lands in 

 private ownership is of prime importance to the welfare of this coun- 

 try. Much of our choicest forest land is included in the vast timber 

 holdings of private companies and individuals. Numerous industries 

 and even communities are dependent upon them for existence. Forest 

 lands in private ownership produce most of our lumber and forest 

 products. 



One big question in the handling of all private forest lands is. of 

 course. "Will forestry pay? 53 The experience of many progressive 

 owners who have tried it shows that it will, under good* average con- 

 ditions of climate or soil, and accessibility to markets. A number of 

 lumber and logging companies, pulp and paper concerns, coal com- 

 panies, railroads, and other users of wood in large quantities, are 

 instituting measures that look to the growing of their own. forest 

 products as a continuing crop. A number of them employ trained 

 foresters to handle their forest lands, and some are artificially refor- 

 esting lands which have become denuded. 



Two factors which have to some extent discouraged private timber 

 growing are high taxes and forest fires. The forest crop requires 

 a longer period to reach maturity than other crops : and under ordi- 

 nary systems of taxation, a high annual tax on private forest lands 

 may therefore prove too heavy a burden to the owner while he waits 

 for his timber crop to grow. Such lands require a system of taxation 

 whereby the private owner may carry a fair share of the tax burden 

 and at the same time realize an adequate profit on his long-term 

 investment. Some States, realizing this, have revised their forest- 

 tax rates in recent years. 



Fire is another risk the private timber grower has to take, for within 

 a short space of time it can eat up the profits derived from years of 

 growth. Some private owners have established excellent systems of 

 fire suppression on their timber holdings in cooperation with the Fed- 

 eral Government and the States. To make possible cooperation be- 

 tween all of these agencies was one of the reasons for the enactment 

 of the Clarke-McXary Act. 



The practice of commercial forestry ought to be greatly expanded 

 as the old-growth forests become scarcer. Otherwise, many of our 

 commercial forest enterprises will be doomed through the exhaus- 

 tion of raw materials. Research carried on by the Forest Service and 

 other forest agencies is constantly adding to the knowledge required 

 to apply sound principles of forestry profitable to privately owned 

 timberlands. 



