The Socorro chieftain., 1908-12-26
THE NATIONAL FORESTS
Many improvements to be Made
in New Mexico during the
Next Year
SECRET AIRY OF AGRICULTURE
says That Estimates of Improve
msnts Covering 90, 900, 900 Have
Been Submitted to Congress.

New Mexico has a natural in
terest in tha part Of the rru0rt
Of the Secretary OF Agriculture
u hich is devoted to permanent
improvements on the Govern
ments National For, SITS. Such
work as the construction of milr>
oil road and trail, telephone lines.
drift and pasture fences, ranger
houses and barns, has opened up
and improved many square niles
of territory in the ten National
Forests in the State. and for
these and similar purposes $751;
463.5l was spent during the last
fiscal year.
Fifty-two and three-fourths
miles of road and 236-A miles of
trail were built, Al miles of tele"
phone lines were strung, and the
forest ranges were improved by
the construction of 5S-1 miles of
drift fence and 6l-A miles of
pasture fence. During the year
% houses, to be used for ranger
quarters, and 8 barns for rangers
horses were built and various
miscellaneous improvements were
made. Many additional improve
ments are planned. In speaking
of the permanent improvement
work on all the National Forests,
the Secretary of Agriculture has
the following to say in his an
nual report;
The agricultural appropria-
tion of 1908 included an item of
$500,00, which was made avail
able for permanent improvement
work on the National Forests.
The object of this work is to
help open up the Forests to more
use and provide means for their
better and more economical pro-
lection. through the supply of
means of communication and
transportation, well-located field
quarters, fire lines, fences to as
siSt in the handling of stock, and
watering places. Those improve
ments are essentially investments
of capital, which add greatly to
the value and usefulness of the
Forests.
THE work completed during
the year included 3,400 miles of
trails, 5000 miles of telephone
line, 100 miles of wagon road, 40
miles of fire line, $50 bridges, $50
cabins and barns, and 900 miles
of pasture and drift fences. In
addition to the sum provided by
the special-improvement fund,
over 100000 from the general
fund of the Service was turned
from current expenses to defray
the cost of this work, but much
OF the work planned and urgently
needed could not be carried out
because there was nothing with
which to pay for it.
Detailed estimates covering a
total of $4,000, 900 for permanent
improvements, which it was de-
sired to complete in 1909, were
submitted to Congress. They
showed for the entire amount ex-
actly what it was proposed to
undertake on each National
Forest, and at what cost. The
amount provided by the appro-
priation was 100000. For 1910
estimates will again be submitted
for permanent improvements, the
cost of which aggregate 1914, 98l.
These estimates are the result OF
specific and fully itemized plans,
which are on file in the Forest
Service. They are in no sense a
request for a lump sum, the
spending of which remains to be
planned in detail after appropria-
tion is made. 1t is OF urgent i'm
portance that this work should
be provided for.
Though the construction oil
permanent improvements entails
the need of provision for their
maintenance, the added efficiency
of the Forests as economic re-
sources secured through these
improvements richly repays the
cost. With the National Forests
as with any other recources, their
returns depend on the extent tC
which development takes place
through judicious outlays o
capital, If the land is not to re
main a wilderness it must b.
made serviceable to the needs o
civilized man by constructive ex
penditures.