WSP04067

• File Number: 8027
• Description: Section D General Correspondence - Federal Agencies - US Department of Agriculture-Forest Service
• State: CO
• Basin: Statewide
• Date: 5/21/1964
• Author: American Forestry As
• Title: A Conservation Program for American Forestry - Policy Statement - American Forestry Association
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Publication

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and the low productivity of many of these holdings
make this owne'rship group of- significant importance
in the over-all picture of forest research needs.

We recommend:
I. That forest research dealing wiI:h problems of
developing the timber, watershed, wildlife, range,
and recreation resources be accelerated so as to more
nearly meet the needs of multiple use resource
managers.
2. That all groups, public, educational and indus-
try, must .participate in the necessary expansion of
research, with the public and educational groups
giving special emphasis to urgently needed basic
research.
3. That research institutions should give high
priority to problems of protection, including diseases,
. insects, fire, and animals. Equally high priority
should be given to forest and related outdoor recre-
ation research.
4. That the. pressing need for adequate research
facilities at public and educational institutions be
given greater recognition and support.
5. That research dealing with factors that moti-
_ vate the behavior and attitudes cof people toward the
forest environment be given greater attention.
B. Resource Surveys and Appraisals.
As the pressure on natural resources has increased
in recent years, and as the principle of multiple use
of forest land has become more widely, recognized
and practiced, periodic resource surveys and apprais-
als have tak.en on increased importance. Some of
the more important surveys and appraisals that have
been underway and' that should be brought up to
date .from time to time are discussed in the follow-
ing:
The Forest Survey provides basic inventory infor-
mation ,on the area and - condition of forest- lands;
the volume, quality, and location of standing timber;
trends in timber growth and mortality; and the
amount of timber cut for industrial products. Up
to 1962, 79 percent of the 775 million acres of
forest land in the 50. states had been field inven-
toried. In the 16 years preceding that date, 332
million acres had been inventoried a second time,
and a small area had been inventoried a third time.
Periodic summaries of forest' resource data, are
needed on -national; regional, 'and state bases. In
areas where - forestry activities are intensified, data
are needed on a county -basis. Such current sum-
maries would be useful in the formulation' of public
and private forest land management policies.
More detailed annual insect and disease surveys
indicating the occurrence and importance of such
pests throughout the nation are necessary to guide
administrative decisions c~mcerning pest control pro-
grams. .
In 1962 the Outdoor Recreation Resources Review
Commission submitted to the President a report en-
title~ '~OutdOor Recreation for America." This time-
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ly report is a comprehensive evaluation of the out-
door recreation problem and an appraisal of both
the supply and potential demand. Such an extensive
appraisal of recreati?n is most useful in providing
guides for future national policy. Similar appraisals
woul~ be helpful for individual states,
Soil surveys ar.e reCognized as of increasing im-
portance in ~~ 'joffective ,management of forest land.
An acc~leratioI\ _~f-tliese!su.n:-eys would permit proper
evaluation of the productiVity of forest soils. The
somewhat related -Soil and Water Conservation
Needs Inventory .has: I;>iovided timely resource data,
but more emphasls"shon1d be placed on the interpre-
tation of findings. .

Wi~dlife .res~urce. information, both as to the ex-
te!'-t .and kind~.of~abitatas well as the supply of
wildltfe, has ~lst~ne~lIy -',been a- responsibility of the
~tates. ~.any. states l?-ave -done a most- effective job
1-';1 pt:ovldmg 'mye~tory and 'other descriptive mate-
n~l ~ th~t p~nodlc ev~luatiqn can be made of the
wi,ldhfe SItUatIon. The states ~should continue this
survey .work, iJ.ltensify it, and: publish the 'results.
Eyal~atlon of trends and sigpificant changes in the
WIldlife resource should be 'emphasized.
In recent years there has been no. national survey
of the range resource. As with other- resources of.
forest. and related lands, a pe~iodic inventory and
appraIsal of ra~ge lands is desirable. The scope
should. be .-sufficlently - comprehensive' to 'include a
determmatioIi of the capabilityiof soils and_in inter-
pretation of soil analyses.
Section ~orners aJ?d boundary lines have never
been. estabhshed under the cadastr"al survey on ap-
proxlm~~ely 100 million acres in 11 wesiem.states.
In addItion, 'about 104 million acres must be surR
veyed for the state of Alaska. These surveys should
be accelerated, particularly where there are parcels
of intermingled private land. Unsurveyed land
~h?uld be ~urveyed promptly where needed, and ex,
Isting public land surveys should be brought up to .
dare. .

. We recommend:

1: That periodic surVeys and appraisals be mad~
nahonal~y of natural resource situations and that
sUfl!-l11arles of the surveys and appraisals be made
aVaJ!a~le to all concerned. They should include, as
a m~lmu~. Ca) the'Forest Survey, (b) outdoor ree-
re.atu:m reVIews, (c) soil and ,water surveys, and (d)
wIldhfe and range reso1,lrce ~valuations. . .

. 2. Th.at the Forest Survey program set ~s a na-
t~ona1 objective a ~e~iodicity of 10 years with empha-
~IS placed on Ob~aIDIng more local data, on improv-
~ng survey techmques, and on publishing survey find-
mgs promptly.

3.; Tha~ cadastral surv.eys be accelerated in areas
of mtermmgled ownershIp and in locations where
there are unsurveyed lanps.

. 4. -That annua~ surveys of occurrence of forest
ms~cts !lnd diseases be. accelerated and intensified
nationWIde.

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