The Daily Missoulian., 1909-01-18
RETROSPECT IS MADE
BY P|NCH0T
CHIEF OF FORESTRY SERVICE, IN
PLAIN WORDS, REVIEWS
YEAR PAST.


| ceipts and expenditures and explain
ing the in plain English. much as a
| railroad president reports to his
| board Of directors, Clifford Pinchot
! forester has just made retrospect
of the work Of the United States for
est service for the fiscal year 1908.
For the administration and protec-
| tion of the 1872 national forests in
| II states and territories and Alaska
the government spent $2,526. .09S02, OF
about 1k cents an acre. Permanent
| improvements, including the construc-
| tion of 3,400 miles of trails, 100 miles
of wagon roads, 5000 miles of tele-
| phone lines, $50 cabins and barns, SOC
| miles of pasture and drift fences, 25C
bridges and 40 miles of fire lines cost
| 1892, 1913 Telephone wire to build
approximately 400 miles of additional
lines was shipped to the forester, but
with the funds available before the
close Of the year the work of con.
structlon could not be completed
Some of this work was done on each
of the forests in the United States.
Although many needed improve
ments could not be undertaken, the
benefits of what has been accom-
plished are seen in the more con-
venient and economical manner in
which the forest officers are enabled
to carry on their work and in the
opening up to forest users Of terri
tory hitherto inaccessible. The re-
manning $297,S4o.4o of the total of $S,-
416, ,10761, disbursed on account of
re Ln I
In forest Investigations costing $685.
| S55.14, and In diffusion of forest in
formation and federal corporation.
The forest service is one of the
branches of the government where
| everything is not outgo. Last wear
the receipts from sales of timber
grazing fees, and permits for spe-
Cial uses of forest resources amounted
to $l,s42,2S1.S7, an increase of $271,-
22243 over the 1907 figures The per
acre receipts from the national forests
were little more than l cent, less
than mills under the per acre cost
the forests.
The amounts paid the states and
territories, to be expended for roads
and public schools from the years re-
ceipts, amounted to $447063.79. Chiefly
because Of increasing the revenue to
the states from 10 per cent In 1907
to 25 per cent last year. there was ;,
total Increase of $294,031.62 in the
amounts payable to the states
In addition, the national forests
yielded heavily to the public in free
use. There were 30,714 permits grant
ed for the free use of timoer by set
tiers. schools and churches during
the year against 1889 in 1907. Th ?
number of board feet used in this
way by the public amounted to 49,
5S2,00O valued at $16S,720 compared
to 63,000,000 feet, valued at $4,000 IA
1907.
The aggregate of free use of the
forests for grazing cannot be exactly
known, since no permit Is required TO
be taken out, and there Is therefore
no record preserved. 1t added per-
haps 10 per cent to the amount of
stock carried by the forests. Settlers
living on or adjacent to the forests,
and prospectors, campers and travel
ers in them are allowed to Craze free
animals or horses in use, and pur-
chasers OF timber and stockmen on
the forests are given the same piivi-
lege for the horses needed IN their
work. In Arizona and New Mexico
milk goats to the number of 30 may
be grazed free In place Of milk cows.
OF free special-use permits there
were issued during ths year 1,76S. as
against total OF 1,4T previously
granted. OF the latter 800 We're in
force during the year
The grazing receipts for 1908 were
$685., ,S2940, and We're paid by the hold
ers of 1885 permits to Craze l.
3S2,221 cattle, horses and hogs, and
of 4,2S2 permits to Craze 1857, III sneep 2
and goats. Receipts of SS49,027.2i
from timber sales were paid by ap-
proximately 5,1S9 purchasers, who cut
the equivalent of 392, 100000 board
feet of timber. The receipts from spe-
cial uses amounted to $50, ,425.23 and
We're paid by 2,065 permittees.
The years receipts represent profita-
BILE use of the forests by some 10000
individuals or concerns, in addition to
more than $4,000 getting free use of
timber and other resources. About
one-fourth Of all the timber cut from
the national forests was under free
use permits.
The purpose of this free-use privi-
lege is to make the forests contrib
ute most effectively to the public well
fare. The timber given to individuals
is given for the development of the
country through settlement
The total receipts from timber sales
each year since the national forests
have been under the administration
of the forest service have been as
follows; 1905, 60,13662; 1906 $245.-
013.49; 1907. $66S. .S1312; 1908. $S49, ,027 "a.
At the end of the last fiscal year,
when business was heavier than at
any other time during the year, the
1S2 national forests were cared for
by an executive and protective force
of 29 inspectors, 9S forest supervisors,
81 deputy supervisors, 33 foerst as
sistants, s planting assistants, 941
rangers, 52l forest guards and SS
clerks
The average acreage to each officer
theoretically available for patrol
duty was 1866 acres. But more
than three-fourths of the time of these
forest officers is now required by the
fast-growing volume of national for
est business. so that in point of fact