The Impact of the Timber and Stone Act on Public Land Ownership in Northern Minnesota

O ver the two-hundred-year history of the United States, the American public's concern over forest resources and its attitudes toward public ownership of land have undergone gradual changes. These changes have affected the decisions made by the federal government, state governments, and private parties. Present-day timberland ownership patterns in the United States reflect the changing public perception and its effect on decision makersO Understanding how these ownership patterns evolved is important at a time when public policy is moving once again toward privatization of forestlands. Well into the 1800s the public believed that the forest resources of the country were inexhaustible and that private ownership brought about their best use. During this era, as the West was settled and railroads built, virgin timber was plentiful and the need for it was great. Partly as a result of these beliefs and economic conditions, Congress allowed millions of acres of timberland to pass into private hands. The Timber and Stone Act, the particular concern of this study, was one of the laws that moved the land from the public domain into private hands. Under the provisions of the act, passed in 1878, public timberland was sold in California, Oregon, Nevada, and Washington in 160-acre tracts at a price of no less than $2.50 an acre.2 In 1892 the law was extended to all publicland states.3 Within a relatively short period of time, the