cludes the construction of many small check 
dams to stop gullying and to catch debris; estab- 
lishment of contour trenches on eroding slopes 
in some cases; stream-bank stabilization and 
various other upstream engineering measures; 
and tree planting or establishment of soil-hold- 
ing shrubs, vines, or grasses on denuded water- 
shed lands. Intensive surveys are still needed 
for many watershed areas as a preliminary to the 
actual protection work. 
Dependable supplies of water are essential to 
the life of our country. Several billion dollars 
In the Yazoo River Valley, the run-off from 
sample areas was checked during a flood period 
in which 27 inches of rain fell. From cleared 
lands, 62 percent of the rainfall ran off; from ad- 
joining forest land, less than one-half of 1 percent. 
The cleared lands lost 34 tons of top soil per 
acre; from the forest land no measurable quantity 
of soil was washed away. 
has been invested in municipal waterworks. 
Western irrigation agriculture represents an in- 
vestment of more than 6 billion dollars. More 
than one-third of the country’s electric power 
output is generated by water power. There can 
be little question about the necessity of safe- 
guarding these investments and the water sup- 
plies on which they depend. 
Construction and Maintenance of Forest Roads 
and Trails 
Roads and trails in the forests are needed not 
only for fire protection, but also to provide access 
to mines, timber stands, and scenic and recrea- 
tion areas, and for properly managing the forests. 
In our national forests the planned road system 
includes some 45,000 miles of roads and 22,000 
miles of trails as yet unconstructed, in addition 
to some 93,000 miles of roads and trails now of 
unsatisfactory standard. Many of the national 
forest roads are important links of main trans- 
continental highways or of the State highway 
systems. 
Reforestation 
Some 77 million acres of forest land in the 
United States have been so depleted by destruc- 
tive logging and fire that they are now largely 
wasteland. Many of these lands will have to be 
replanted if they are to be made productive again 
in any reasonable time. A reforestation pro- 
gram calling for planting 32 million acres in a 
Our idle forest land, which now makes little or 
no contribution to human welfare but is in many 
cases a dead-weight burden, covers an area ap- 
proximately equal to the forest area of Sweden. 
Sweden’s forests supply one-seventh of its na- 
tional income; they create employment for one- 
fourth of its working population. 
25-year period has been suggested by the Na- 
tional Resources Planning Board. The size of 
this job is indicated by the fact that up to 1940 
only 3% million acres had been successfully 
planted by all agencies, public and private. 
Timber-Stand Improvement 
In second-growth and promising stands of 
new young growth the quality and quantity of 
growing timber can be greatly improved by such 
operations as thinning, pruning, and weeding 
out worthless trees. To pay its way in higher 
yields of timber, such improvement work should 
of course be confined to areas where prospective 
timber values are high; but it is estimated that 
there are at least 65 million acres on which 
timber-stand improvement would be worth 
while. That is, the cost of the work would be 
amply repaid by better timber production. 
Timber is an invaluable resource. It is the 
base for literally thousands of products; it serves 
our entire population in innumerable ways, not 
least in its availability for national defense. The 
United States now uses half the lumber, more 
than half the paper, and two-fifths of the wood 
consumed in all forms in the world. The full 
possibilities in the use of wood have not been 
touched. 
Within the memory of men now living, a 
wealth of virgin timber was ready at hand and 
practically free for the taking. For a substantial 
portion of our present output of forest products 
we still depend on the dwindling stands of old- 
growth timber. They will not last forever. In 
the he we shall have to grow the timber we 
need. 
In growing it, the timber crop can be improved 
by various cultural operations, just as farm and 
garden crops can be. 
Forest-Range Improvement 
In the United States there are some 345 million 
acres of forest land (including more than 80 
million acres in national forests) which are grazed 
by domestic livestock. This forest range makes 
a substantial contribution to the production of 
the Nation’s meat, wool, and leather. It is an 
essential part of the range livestock industry, 
which not only is the background of one of the 
most colorful phases of American life—and of 
many a popular song and movie—but represents 
ranch and livestock investments of more than 3 
billion dollars. 
