Los Angeles herald., 1909-05-30
HIGHLY TRAINED
MEN SUPERVISE
NATIONS TREES
CONSERVATION WORK IS DONE
BY SYSTEM
EXECUTIVE FORCE OF FOREST
SERVICE TAKES FIELD
Each Branch of Department Conducts
Special Office and Employs Skilled
Experts to Look After
Every Detail

Following the movement of the larger
mart of the executive force of the for
est service from Washington into the
field. and Tho 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 being
pushed forward even more effectively
than heretofore. Only the general ad-
ministrative heads of the service ana
the men engaged in government 1or-
estry work in the eastern part OF the
connfrv retain their headquarters in
Washington.
For the better administration OF the
194.5O0 600 acres of national forest lana,
this vast territory is divided into l4S
national forests. each in charge OF a
forest supervisor. In all cases the SUI
pervisor is selected for his wide prac-
fical knowledge of the west, and OF
numbering and grazing particularly he
may or may not be trained forester
If not a trained forester himself, he has
such a man to assist him. 1t is the
business of the forest supervisor ana
his technical aids to bring their forest
gradually to a condition of maximum
productiveness To do this requires
great deal of detailed study and skill
full planning. Each step, from the care
and protection of the young growth to
the numbering of the mature forest
must be carefully considered, and as
carefully executed, if the forest is to
go on producing trees indefinitely.
Experience Necessary
For each of the many lines of work to
L. \ IN, 70 fnrnGf
special experience are required Those
who prepare and tend the nurseries
must be experienced in raising and
caring for young trees. The lumber
man 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 prop
erly observed. must be an experienced
and capable woodsman.
The forest ranger patrols his district
of the forest to see that fire and tres
pass are prevented, that the range is
not overgrazed, that logging regulations
are enforced, and that the privileges
granted by permit for the use of the
various forest resources are not abused;
he also must be hard-headed, practical
and thoroughly honest, an able-bodied
citizen of the west, with plenty of ex-
perience in all the problems with which
he may have to deal.
The trained foresters are usually for
est school graduates Their training is
somewhat parallel to that of the civil
engineer, but particular attention is
paid to the study of botany, to the
life and growth of forests, and to all
that affects their development and use
fulness.
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.
Territory Divided
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, Mont: Denver, Colo; Albuquer-
que, n. M: ogden, Utah; San Fran
cisco, Cal. and Portland, Ore.
The object of the forest service is to
foster proper use of the forest re-
sources of the country, including pri-
waite and state. as well as national
forests. On the latter every resource
is for use in the best interests of all
citizens of the United States. Every
water-poWer site every piece of min
eral land. every bit of grazing land or
of good agricultural land is for use,
provided it is not required for public
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 a S much timber as
possible. In order that the admins
tration may be most effective the vari-
Gus offices have been established at
Washington and at the district head
quarters, each in charge of trained
and experienced men directing spe-
cialized lines of work.
Work Specialized
The office of operation attends in
each district to the protection and ad-
ministration of the national forests and
employs engineers, expert miners and
foresters to investigate claims, make
surveys and maps. and supervise the
building of telephone lines, trails,
roads, bridges, ranger stations and
other improvements.
The office of grazing looks after the
range, cooperating in the enforcement
of quarantine regulations and issues
permits by which the grazing of stock
within each national forest is so reg
ulated as to improve rather than de-
stroy its grazing capacity. 1t studies
the best means of re-seeding the range
and conducts Investigations and de-
vises means of checking the growth
of poisonous plants which are injuri-
Gus to livestock.
The office of silvieuture makes
special study of the management of
timbered lands in order to make them
yield the largest permanent returns
1t makes timber sales on the national
forests, plants trees on bare national
forest land, makes estimates and for
est working plans, investigates forest
conditions and all problems connected
with the life and growth of trees and
gives advice where possible to private
parties who are interested in similar
lines of work.
Conservation V'atchword
The work of the office Of products
is the determination of all ways and
means possible for utilizing wood and
timber, in order to make the business
of forestry economical and profitable.
Markets and wood-using Industries
everywhere are being investigated, sta
tistics of forest products are being col
lected and the comparative strength of
building timbers with reference to
their use for various purposes is being
determined by accurate scientific
tests.
The office of products also makes
a study of the best ways of preserv-
ing timbers and co-operates with pri-
vate telephone companies, railroads
and other Embarrassing interests in de-
termining the best methods applicable
in each case. Experimental treating
plants for this purpose are being es-
tablished throughout the country.
In short. the forest service is en-