The Colorado statesman., 1908-02-08
BODYBUILDING AN IMPORTANT
BRANCH OF WORK ON
l-ALEt. ~ n.tA
WHAT HAS BEEN DONE
CONSTRUCTION OF TELEPHONE
LINES, TRAILS AND CABINS
NECESSARY.

Leadville, Colo.-At the third days
session Of the board of supervisors OF
the government forest district No.
the question Of improvements on the
reserves was discussed. Building OF
roads and trails, telephone lines and
bridges and the construction of rang
ers' cabins were recommended.
Supervisor Daniel Anderson of the
Battlement Mesa reserve spoke on
the construction of improvements. He
showed the Importance of building
roads, citing one case on his reserve
where over q million feet of dead tim
ber which would otherwise have been
wasted was placed on the market.
This was done by the construction OF
a road costing less than $500.
1t was decided best to eventually
cover the entire forest system with
complete system of roads and trails.
An outline of the needed trails will be
made at the start so that the whole
will be Systematically done and no
work need to be duplicated.
w. e. Herring, a government engf-
neer, gave interesting figures as to
what has been done with $500,000 ap-
propriated for improvements by the
last Congress. The fund covers work
on roads, trails, bridges, drift and pas
DSSSAtbSA
18th, 3,2S9 miles of telephone lines.
1852 miles of trails, All miles of
fences, SO barns, 461 cabins, 202
bridges and 4S0 miles of road COM
pleted or under construction author
lied. Nearly all of this will be COM
pleted before the end of the fiscal year.
The cabins that have been built are
used for the accommodation of the for
est rangers and are also valuable for
headquarters in fighting fires.
The reason for constructing tele-
phone lines is also indicated by fires
that have occurred and with tele-
phones it is easy to secure aid by call
ing on the nearest ranger or the super
visor's Office.
Building of trails has also been an
important line of work. Many of the
forests are practically an unbroken
wilderness with no means of communi-
cation. During the last year several
hundred miles Of trail has been con-
structed through country previously
almost impossible. These will open
the interior of the forest and make its
resources available.
Mr. Herring stated that bridges have
been constructed across streams that
can not be forded in the flooded sea-
son. The largest span erected in 1907
was 120 feet, in the Gunnison reserve.
These bridges are built entirely from
timber and material most easily OBJ
tanned. Wagon road construction has
been carried on in many sections,
some times in cooperation with the
settlers.
In one place in idaho a road OF
eleven miles cost $4,000. This was
built through ali exceptionally difficult
country and only a small part was
done by the service. Another road
now under construction in the Lead
vile forest will connect the Blue river
valley and the Williams Fork country
He said that on the whole the work of
constructing permanent improvements
on the forest lands has been success
full.
L. F. Kneipp, Inspector in the branch
of grazing, who arrived today from
Washington, discussed the question Of
cutting down the number of live stock
now on the reserves. Mr.. Kneipp
stated that conditions had so much
improved in the last two or three years
that no further cuts are anticipated
except to admit new owners. In fact,
he said that the grazing allotments
have been increased in many of the
forests.
l.. c. Miller of the office of forest
planting at Washington took up the
question of replanting the denuded
areas. He declared it the policy of
the service to plant first the water
sheds from which cities in the noun
tain states draw their water supply.
The planting for other purposes will
be secondary and largely expert
mental. He said lack of interest or
lack of knowledge exists among forest
officers in regard to this work, but he
looks for an Improvement. An expert
ment is row being carried on to de-
termine the value of broadcast sowing
of tree seed to re-stock forests. In
most cases 1t has been successful and
the supervisors are working hard to
make the method practical.
During the week the visiting chiefs
from the Washington Office will hold a
conference with local lumber dealers
for the purpose of arranging sched-
ule of prices to be paid for stumpage
on the Colorado forests.