68 BULLETIN 149 7, TJ. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
estation task in each State is divided between these four groups in 
such a way that each of the three public agencies do one-fifth and 
the private owners two-fifths, there will be 1.000.000 acres to be 
reforested by each class of public owners and 2.000.000 acres by the 
private owners over a 50-year period. Evidently, such a program 
requires large acquisitions of land to be set aside for forest purposes 
by the States, by the local communities, and by the Xational Govern- 
ment. In each State it might mean three national forests of over 
300.000 acres each, 5 to 10 State forests of 100,000 to 200.000 acres 
each, and one or more county or town forests of 10.000 to 50.000 
acres in each of the northern counties of the three States. The 
existing State and national forests would serve as centers around 
which to expand, and other areas would be blocked out by purchase 
and exchange in order that units of suitable size for administration 
might be formed. The Federal Government is proposing to acquire 
2,500.000 acres in the Lake States for national forests, and a part 
of these acquisitions will doubtless be lands in need of planting. 
Such a program would involve not only land acquisition but a 
corresponding expansion in the production of nursery stock and in 
planting. One hundred million trees a year would be required in 
each State, or more than ten times the largest present forest-nursery 
output of any one of the States. Present nurseries would have to 
be enlarged and several additional nurseries established at suitable 
locations in different parts of each State. With an average cost of 
planting of $7 an acre, expenditures of $700,000 a year in each State 
for planting alone would be necessary, of which over $400,000 would 
be public appropriations, if the three public agencies were to under- 
take three-fifths of the work. 
The organization, administration, and protection of the new forest 
properties are the essential accompaniment to the program, and this 
would require a permanent personnel of not less than 100 men in each 
State, The present State and national forests would become units 
of the much larger organization. The program would include 
expenditures for improvements in the way of roads, buildings, and 
bridges. So large an expansion must be gradual, but it should be 
as rapid as possible. 
This program would have large advantages fully commensurate 
with its expense. Planting alone would provide work for 1.000 
men for 100 days a year — a much-needed opportunity for many of 
the settlers starting farms in the northern counties. 
The presence of the many units of forest property with planta- 
tions and organized protection from fire would greatly strengthen 
the fire-protection work of adjoining areas and of the whole region. 
Finally, the annual product of the 100,000 acres annual planting, 
when it became merchantable, would undoubtedly exceed 1.500.000.000 
board feet, and this, at only $10 a thousand, would have a gross 
stumpage value of $15,000,000 or a value when manufactured of at 
least $50,000,000 each year. Timber production on this scale would 
support 200 small sawmills or other wood-using industries in each 
State permanently and would support an equal number of prosperous 
communities. 
