Bisbee daily review., 1907-10-19
FOREST RESERVE MILLIONS OF
 ACRES
Great Work Done in Last Thir- ty Years and in Past Six teen, Since Present Law Was Passed

Within three decades after the
 first federal recognition of forestry,
 and sixteen years from the date when
 the first 'timDeriand reserve was ere ated there have been established, in
 the interest of the whole people, 150
 million acres of national forests, eff fectiyely protected against fire and { trespass, and thrown open on advan- tageous terms to the use of the pub lie" Thus reads the annual review or forest WoTh in tIiS DOoh 0I
 the department of Agriculture. For ests have so large a place in the na- tional life that in some measure every citizen shares the benefits which at tend successful effort to preserve, re store, or establish them. Yet it will
 always be the western industries which will most profit from the pres ence of the existing national forests,
 upcn whose resources-mainly wood
 water and range-they are largely de pendent. The government always
 fayors settlers and home builders and prior users. both by granting free use of timber and by encouraging small sales. The business of the national i forests must increase largely: for so vast are the resources of timber and minerals, and the opportunities for various business enterprises and for 1 the development of power and irrfga-
 tion, that the utilization of the for 1 ests can be said to have only fairly begun.
 Throughout the year marked pro gress has been made in securing the most prompt, simple and precise busi-
 ness methods, and in bringing the forest officers in the field and, through them. the public into closer touch with the aims of the government and its forest policy. On January l, 1906 the area of the national forests was 97, ,773. .617 acres. and on December 21, 1906, 12T ,i54,371 acres; but the re ceipts increased in greater propor- tion-from s273.6 in 1905 to s1,004,- lS5 in 1906 In addition. 15,000 per nlittees (near-by settlers and ranch
 mem were granted timber free of charge to the value of s75,000.
 Tn disposing of timber on the na-
 tional forests, every effort has been made to meet the local conditions in
 each forest and in the different parts of each forest where the character of the timber and the market require special consideration. This has been
 dene not only by varying the size of the trees which are cut under the sales in accordance with the kind of timber and the situation, but also by supplying the needs of the people in each vicinity with the particular kind Of timber required by them in their industries.
 ~'The institution of a charge for grazing in the forests, with the adop- Etion of regulations to prevent damage to the range and with satisfactory al lotments of territory, both between the cattle owners and between indi- yidual C xners of the same kind of stock, were important accomplish
 ments of the year.
 Planting operations are at present centered in eight nurseries within CT
 near as many different forests. There
 are now on hand a total of 6,000,0O0
 seedlings and 750 acres were planted in the spring of 1907. Four of the
 nurseries have been established long
 enough to grow seedlings of size for
 planting.
 Better facilities for communica-
 tien, through public and private tele-
 phone lines now being constructed, and the improvement of roads. will
 be of the greatest assistance in the conduct of forest business, and espe-
 cially in the control of fires. The use of the forests by the public will also
 be stimulated by the marking of roads
 and trails. giving the direction and
 distance to the nearest town, ranch
 or camping place.
 "The record of 1906 has confirmed
 the business success of the govern
 mont nnliex and thus given encOuT- agement to the development of the
 technical side of forestry. When,
 through studies now under way, bet
 ter knoledge of the growth and habits
 of our western trees is secured and
 the forests have been brought,
 through the utilization of ground at
 present unoccupied, to greatly in
 creased productiveness. still larger
 benefits may be expected"