Los Angeles herald., 1908-12-25
MUCH WORK DONE IN
IMPROVING FORESTS
SECRETARY OF AGRICULTURE
REPORTS PROGRESS
State Estimates for 1909 Submitted to
Congress Called for 100000.
Actual Appropriation
Was 100000

WASHINGTON, Dec. 24.-California
has natural interest in that part of the
report of the secretary of agriculture
which is devoted to permanent i'm
provements on the governments ma
tional forests. Such work as the con-
struction of miles of trail, road, tele-
phone lines, drift and pasture fences,
bridges, ranger houses and barns, has
opened up and improved many square
miles of territory in the eighteen ma
tional forests in the state, and for these
and similar purposes $S5,9104S was
spent during the fiscal year ending
June 80, 1908.
Five hundred and forty-three and
ore fourth miles of trail and 21A miles
of road were built, 400 miles of tele-
phone line were strung, and the forest
ranges were improved by the conStruc-
tion of 491R miles of pasture fence and
5k miles of drift fence. During the
year 81 houses to be used for ranger
quarters and 2S barns for rangers
horses were built, IA bridges were con-
structed, watering places on the range
were improved, and various miscel-
laneous improvements were made.
In speaking of the permanent inn
provement work on all the national
forests the secretary of agriculture has
the following to say in his annual re-
port:
"The agricultural appropriation act
of 1908 included an item of $500,00o,
which was made available for perma-
nent Improvement work on the nation
al forests The object of this work IS
TO help open up the forests to more use
and provide means for thsir better and
more economical protection, through
the supply of means of communication
and transportation, well located field
quarters, fire lines, fences to assist In
the handling of stock, and watering
places These improvements are essen
TALLY investments of capital, which add
greatly to the value and usefulness OF
the forests
''The work completed during the year
included 3400 miles of trails, 5000 miles
of telephone line, 100 miles of wagon
road, 40 miles of fire line, 250 bridges.
$50 cabins and barns. and 600 miles of
pasture and drift fences. In addition
to the sum provided by the special inn
provement 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 Moth
ing with which to pay for it.
Detailed estimates covering a total
of S2,000000 for permanent improve
ments, which it was desired to complete
IN lJU9, were " tic
They showed for the entire amount ex-
actly what it was proposed to under
take on each national forest, and at
what cost. The amount provided by
the appropriation was 100000.
For 1910 estimates will again be sub
mitted for permanent improvements,
the cost of which aggregates $974.9S1.
These estimates arc the result of spe-
clfic 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 Importance
that this work should be provided for.
Though the construction of perma-
nent improvements entails the need of
provision for their maintenance, the
added efficiency of the forests as eco
nomic resources secured through these
improvements richly repays the cost.
With the national forests, as with any
other resources. their returns depend
on the extent to which development
takes place through judicious outlays
of capital If the land is not to remain
a wilderness it must be made service
able to the needs of civilized man by
constructive expenditures"
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