Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1899-11-16
FOREST RESERVES.
Duties OF The Officers Thereon Officially
Stated,
(By Hon. Bineer Hermann.)

HLaCeu,
CBy Hon. Binger Hermann.)
In the eleven states and territories OF
Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, South
Dakota, Utah, Washington and Wyo.
ming there are thirty-six forest re-
serves, containing an aggregate area
are divided into nine districts, each
having a general officer, known as a
forest superintendent, in charge. Each
district is divided into supervisors dis
tricts, the number depending on the
number of reserves, total area and diff
ficulties of supervision, as affected by
topography and liability to fires and
depredations of all kinds. For each of
pointed an officer called a forest super
visor, who has direct charge of the re-
serve or a portions of a reserve forming
his district. There are thirty-nine such
divided into patrol districts, the size of
each patrol depending upon topography
and the liability to fires and d%epreda-
tions, and a forest ranger, whose head
in his subdivision, is appointed for each
such district. There are $50 patrol dis
tricts, or rangers subdivisions, in the
thirty-six reserves. Two hundred and
fifty ~ pcrarc for pnmn6iata 1utv ware
authorized May 2, 1899, to serve unit
October Is, 1899. One hundred addition
al rangers were authorized to enter up
on duty July rs, to serve until October
Is, 1899. The rangers report to the SUI
pervisors, and are under their imme
diate supervision. The supervisors re-
port to the superintendent ts, and the su-
perintendents report to the commission
err of the general land office at Washing
tor.
The forest superintendent are di-
rectly responsible Ito the commissioner
of the general land office for the proper
administration of the reserves. They
receive from the commissioner all or
ders and instructions, and are required
to see that they are carried out. The
forest supervisor is responsible for the
work pertaining to his district, and for
the proper discharge of duty by the
rangers, and reports to the superintend-
emit. The respective duties Of these off
Gals are described in detail in the fol-
lowing:
The forest superintendent are re-
quired Ito post themselves thoroughly as
to all the rules and regulations govern
ing the reserve, as laid down in a gen.
eral circular of instructions issued June
80, 1897, and reissued with amendments
August 5, 1898, and to see that these
regulations are enforced, to observe the
results Of their operation and to report
thereon. They are TO obtain informal
ton against persons violating the pro-
visions of the forest fire law, and report
it to the proper United States attorney,
and to render all necessary assistance
in their prosecution. They are to give
special attention to the instructions re-
garding forest fires and ITO cooperate
with the supervisors in all large and
important fires which are liable to get
beyond the control of the supervisors
and rangers, and, when necessary, to
employ additional help to extinguish
the fires.
They are required to study the effect
of sheep grazing upon the reserves; to
examine as to the question of the free
use Of timber and stone as provided by
the regulations; timber trespasses;
lands in the reserves more valuable for
mineral than for timber; areas in the
reserves more valuable for agricultural
charge of the appraisement of timber
to be sold, and many other similar du-
ties. They promulgate all orders from
the commissioner, and examine and
pass upon all reports made to him by
the supervisors and rangers.
The supervisor must have his head
quarters in or near the reserve Of which
he is in charge. He must familiarize
himself with all the conditions existing
in his district, especially in regard to
forest fires. He must see that notices
of the forest fire act of February "a,
1897, which are printed on cloth, are
posted in conspicuous places in the re-
serve; that all campers, hunters and
others found I'M the reserve are duly
warned as TO their camp fires and their
attention called to the fire act. They
have Immediate supervision Of the ran
gers, and are required to be In and
through the reserve TO see that the time
of the rangers is fully occupied in pa
trolling their districts. clearing up old
trails, cutting lev trails and perform
ing their duties generally. They make
weekly reports Of daily service rendered
and monthly reports on the general con-
ditions existing on the reserve. They
also make detailed reports to the su-
perintendent on forest fires.