The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1909-05-31
BUREAU UNDER THE DEPART
MENT OF AGRICULTURE HAS
MUCH TO DO.
Tends to Two Hundred Million Acres
of Trees That Have Been Put
Aside From Entry.

h2St1INO lON, A.. -, May OIL
Following the movement of the larger
part of the executive force of the for
est service from Washington into the
field, and the division of the western
country into six forest districts, each
in charge of a district forester, the
practical management of Uncle Sans
forests on a business basis is pushed
forward even more effectively than
heretofore. Only the general admins
trative heads of the service and the
men engaged in government forestry
work in the eastern part of the coun-
try retain their headquarters IN
Washington.
For the better administration of the
194500,00O acres of national forest
land. this vast territory is divided into
149 national forests, each in charge of
a forest supervisor In all cases, the
supervisor is selected for his wide
practical knowledge of the west, and
of numbering and grazing particularly.
He may or may not be a trained for
ester. If not a trained forester him
self he has such a man to assist him.
1t is the business of the forest super
visor and his technical aids to bring
their forest gradually to condition
of maximum productiveness. To do
this requires a great deal of detailed
study and skillful planning. Each step,
from the care and protection of the
H. T,
mature forest must be carefully con-
sidered and as carefully executed if
the forest is to go on producing trees
indefinitely.
For each Of the many lines of work
10 be carried on in the forest, men with
special experience are required. Those
who prepare and tend the nurseries
must lie eXprincd in raising and caring
for young trees. The Iumberman, who
cruises and estimates timber, helps to
plan logging operations, and sees that
the scaling is correctly done and that
the rules for logging are properly OBJ
served. must be an experienced and
capable Woodsman The forest ranger
that fire and trespass are prevented,
that the range is not overgrazed, that
logging regulations are enforcd, and
that the privileges granted by permit
for the use of the various forest re
sources are not abused; he must also
be hardheaded, practical and thor
Oughly honest, an able bodied citizen
of the west, with plenty of experienc
in all the problems with which he may
have to deal. The trained foresters
Their training is somewhat parallel to
that of the civil engineer, but partic-
ular attention is paid to the study of
botany, to the life and growth OF for
ests. and to all that affects their de-
yelopment and usefulness In addition
to his scientific training, the American
trained forester must have abundant
practical experience in the woods. on
the range, and in the mills, for he
must have a thorough understanding
of all conditions before attempting to
work out a system of good business
management of any forest.
For the general administration of the
national forests, the western half of
the United States is divided into six
districts with headquarters at Mis-
soula, Montana: Denver, Colorado;
Albuquerque. New Mexico: Ogden,
Utah; San Francisco, California, and
Portland, Oregon.
The object of the forest service is
to foster proper use of the forest re-
sources of the country, including pri-
Vate and state, as well as national
forests. Upon the latter every re-
source is for use in the best interests
az all citizens of the United States
Every water power site, every piece of
mineral land, every bit of grazing land
or of good agricultural land is for use.
provided it is not required for pubic
purposes. The remainder of the land
which is forest is of course put to the
best use by the practice of forestry
when it is made to produce as much
timber as possible In order that the
administration may be, NOSE effective
the various offices have been estab-
lished at Washington and at the dis
trict headquarters each in charge of
trained and experienced men directing
specialized lines of work.
The office of operation attends in
each district to the protection and ad-