OCR Text |
Show State Revenue From Forests Increased Sin addition to the bene tits secured by fire protection and by regulations I which control the use of tlmberland 6 and range so as to Insure permanent I supplies for local wants, the states having national- forests now receive, under the new agricultural appropriation appropria-tion bill, 25 per cent of the grow proceeds pro-ceeds derived from the sale of national forest resources. This amount, ao- I cording to law, goes to offset any losses to the state through withdrawal with-drawal of forest areas from taxation and is devoted to publio roads and schools. Several years ago complaints were made that the withdrawal of timber-lands timber-lands for forest purposes reduced the taxable areas of the states In which withdrawals were made. Tho Forest service, quick to see tho Justice of these complaints, recommended at first that 10 per cent, and later that 25 per cent, of the gross proceeds from the national forests should be paid to the states. As a result tho states are assured of school and road funds, doubtless more certainly than they otherwise could have been, since the permanence of the forest resources is now secured by conservative management. manage-ment. Had the forests never been established their resources would undoubtedly un-doubtedly have been exhausted by hasty and Improvident methods of ex- v ploltatlon, leaving the land wasted Wf and unproductive. |