Substantial portions of this forest range are 
from 30 to 60 percent depleted, which means that 
if brought up to par they could produce far more 
livestock and livestock products. Repeated 
droughts have adversely affected many areas. 
Millions of acres are eroding, adding to the silt 
load of western streams. 
Building fences, developing water supplies, 
improving stock driveways, controlling de- 
structive rodents, and getting rid of noxious 
plants are some of the activities that will help to 
restore and develop forest-range resources. A 
big field for useful postwar work is reseeding 
run-down ranges. Reseeding has immense pos- 
sibilities for large-scale restoration and im- 
provement of forage yields. In the Intermoun- 
tain region and in eastern Oregon, for example, 
methods of reseeding have been worked out that 
will increase forage production on depleted 
forest range from 5 to 20 times. 
Fish and Game Development 
The wildlife our national forest lands support 
can be greatly increased by improving the 
habitat—that is, by providing better shelter, 
more natural food, and other conditions favor- 
able to bird and animal life. In our fishing 
waters, stream-improvement work—such as pro- 
tection of spawning places and building small 
dams to create trout pools—can provide better 
fishing. 
In 1943 more than 16,000,000 hunting and 
fishing licenses were sold. The States get a 
substantial income from them. There is every 
indication that more people than ever will want 
to hunt and fish after the war. 
It has been estimated that hunters spend 
annually about $1,000,000,000 for equipment, 
travel, and other expenses; and that fishermen 
spend about the same amount in the pursuit of 
their sport. Purchases of guns, ammunition, 
fishing tackle, outdoor clothing, and other 
equipment help support large industries and the 
employment of many workers. The cost of tackle 
and equipment, however, is the smallest part of 
the sportsman’s expenditures. By far the larger 
part is for transportation, guides, boat hire, 
lodging, food, and incidentals, which brings 
income to local communities. Fish and game 
development work which makes for better hunt- 
ing and fishing will increase such income. 
Perhaps just as important is the attraction 
which forest lands, developed and managed to 
provide suitable wildlife habitat, have for people 
interested in nature, for camera fans, and recrea- 
tionists. Such forests are also of great value to 
science. 
New Recreation Facilities 
There is a growing need for more and better 
hiking trails, ski runs, swimming places, camp- 
ing and picnic grounds and safe water supplies 
for them. Recreation facilities in our national 
forests were generally used to capacity before the 
war, and there will undoubtedly be increased 
demand for such facilities now. These facilities 
become available not only to local people but to 
others from distant parts of the country, whose 
vacation expenditures increase local business. 
The monetary return from recreation and 
tourist business before the war was estimated as 
about equal to that of the steel and iron industry. 
The returns from recreation were second only to 
petroleum in California, to dairying in Wiscon- 
sin, and to automobiles in Michigan. They 
rank first or high on the list in several other 
States. Tourist business is the financial main- 
stay for many communities. 
Aside from monetary considerations, outdoor 
recreation is of growing importance for the 
physical health of our people, and for release 
from the increasing complexities of modern 
living. 
WHAT ABOUT PRIVATE 
FOREST LANDS? 
When and as the need for postwar employ- 
ment arises, most of the kinds of jobs outlined 
above can be undertaken promptly on public 
forest lands—on national forests, State, county, 
and municipal forests. The amount of needed 
work on public forests alone is enough to provide 
many thousand man-years of employment; and 
public ownership gives excellent assurance that 
the values resulting from the work will be main- 
tained. 
A vast amount of work along similar lines is 
also needed on privately owned forest lands— 
in fact, most of the areas of greatest depletion, 
where the greatest need for rehabilitation work 
exists, are in private ownership. In the past, 
publicly financed work on private forest lands 
(as under the CCC program) has been confined 
to measures for the protection of existing re- 
