Bisbee daily review., 1907-07-25
FREE TIMBER IS GRANTED MANY
 IN FORESTS
Uncle Sam Is Very Liberal with Settlers Who Need the Tim Der in Building Homes or lm- proving Their Premises,

WASHINGTON. July 24.-(Special.) ] During the fiscal year just closed the number of people granted free use of the timber from the National Forest increased very largely. In the fiscal year 1906 free use permits were grant ed to 15,00 persons. Exact figures for the last year are not yet obtainable, but enough is known to make it safe to say that they will show a decidedly larger total.
 Just why and how free use permits are granted is a matter which com. paratively few people who do not live near a national forest understand. In this as in its grazing regulations the policy of the government is aimed at helping the settlement of the country The man who wants to make money by cutting and selling to others timber from the national forests pays for it at the market price. But the rancher who is trying to make a home near a national forest and has no timber of his own, or the small community which undertakes to build a church or a school house or a road and needs ma terial for the purpose, is allowed by the local forest officer to take a reas. enable amount free, wherever this can ben done without harm to the forest There is no red tape or delay involved for the forest officers on the ground are given full power in the matter. The value of the wood given away during the year was about S5 per ap i plicant. Under the regulations no one
 may receive more than S20 worth ot free wood in one year. The timber
 must be used by those who cut it. Il
 usually goes for fencing, house logs posts, poles, wellsweeps and similar
 purposes.
 Where dead timber is at hand, free use applicants are expected to take
 it and leave the green trees to grow
 Settlers frequently prefer dead timber
 which has not begun to decay. since l it is dry and light.
 The cutting of free timber must con l form to regulations the same as if the
 wood had been sold. Stumps must be low, tops worked up if worth it. and ready for burning at the proper time the limbs and refuse must be piled Small growing trees are not allowed tC ! be taken.
 Timber for roads, schools and alSc church may be had free up to the value of s10O. This means a good deal ot timber on the stump. In case of ne cessity-as the rebuilding of a burnt church. for example-larger amounts may be granted.
 In regions where wood is plentiful settlers usually have enough of their own and they ask little from the pub, lie domain. But where the ranches are treeless often the only place where the people can obtain wood is the Ma tional Forest. By removing the dead or over-mature trees they very likely actually benefit the forest as well as themselves.
 Settlers whose land is within or ad- joining national forests are allowed free pasture as well as free timber, but not for more than ten head of do mestic animals used about the farm. For these no permit is required. The horses and cows are turned cut to gTaze where they please. It is worth noting that abuse of the privilege is rare
 The man who obtains home on the edge of a national forest is often for tunate, for the free use of timber and