Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1909-01-18
What Has Been Accomplished During
Last Fiscal Year.
OVER A MILLION OF INCOME
Receipts from All Sources Amount to
Nearly Half the Total Expendi-
lures for Maintaining the
National Forests.

the 1S2 national forests. in seventeen states
and territories and Alaska, the government
spent S2626, ,09S %, or about one and one-half
cents an acre. Permanent Improvements,
including the construction Of 3,400 miles OF
trails. 100 miles Of wagon roads, $500 miles
of telephone lines, $50 cabins and barns 600
miles OF pasture and drift fences, go bridges
and forty miles Of fire lines cost 1892 10.
Telephone wire to build approximately 400
miles Of additional lines was shipped to the
forester, but with the funds available be-
fore the close of the year the work OF
construction could not be completed. Some
Of this work was done on each of the
forests in the United States.
Benehts of improvements.
Although many needed improvements
could not be undertaken, the benefits of
what has been accomplished are seen In
the more convenient and economical manner
in which the forest officers are enabled to
carry on their work and in the opening
up to forest users of territory hitherto in
accessible. The remaining $297 ,S40.4o Of the
total Of SO, ,416107 81 disbursed on account Of
work of the forest service was used in
forest Investigations costing $235s55.A and
in diffusion of forest information and fed
oral cooperation.
L lie lOIesl stTNlC6 10 OIle VI bhS
Of the government where everything is not
outgo. Last year the receipts from sales
Of timber, grazing fees and permits for
special uses of forest resources amounted
to 81 S42 ST. an increase of $27l. .222. 43 over
the 1907 figures. The per acre receipts
from the national forests were little more
than ! cent less than mills under the
per acre cost of administration and pro-
lection of the forests
The amounts paid the states and terri
tories, to be expended for roads and public
schools for the years receipts, amounted tn
SAT 3.79. 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 1924. 1.62 in the amounts
payable to the states
Free Use to Settlers.
In addition, the national forests yielded
heavily to the public in free use. There
were 9o.714 permits granted for the free use
of timber by settlers, schools and churches
during the year. against 1899 in 1907 The
number of board feet used in this way by
the public amounted to 131. 900. valued at
s16s, ,720 compared to 63,0O0,OOO feet, valued
at $4,000, in 1907.
The aggregate of free use of the forests
no permit is required to be taken out, and
there is therefore no record preserved. 1t
added perhaps 10 per cent to the amount
of stock carried by the forests. Settlers
living on or adjacent to the forests, and
prospectors, campers and travellers in them
are allowed to Craze free up TO ten head
of milk cows, work animals or horses In
USE and purchasers of timber and stock
men on the forests are given the same
privilege for the horses needed In their
work In Arizona and New Mexico milk
goats to the number OF thirty may be
grazed free in place OF milk cows.
OF free special-use permits there were
issued during the year 1,76S, against a
total Of 141 previously granted. OF the
latter 963 were in force during the year.
Receipts from Grazing.
The grazing receipts for 1903 were $685.
S2s 10. and were paid by the holders of 49,
s45 permits to Craze 1882 ,2A cattle, horses
and hogs, and of 4,2s2 permits to Craze
1857, III sheep and goats. Receipts of $S49,-
02724 from timber sales were paid by ap-
proximately 5,1sS purchasers. who cut the
equivalent of 392, ,7s2 900 board feet Of timber.
The receipts from special uses amounted
to $50, 425 % and were paid by 2,O65 permit
tees.
The years receipts represent profitable
use of the forests by some $4,000 individuals
| or concerns, in addition to more than 10000
getting free use of timber and other re-
sources. About one-fourth of all the tim
ber cut from the national forests was under
/ free-use permits.
The purpose of this free-use privilege is
to make the forests contribute most effec-
! lively to the public welfare. The timber
given to individuals is given for the de-
/ velopment of the country through settle
ment
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: In 1905,
1S6 g.; 1906 $245 5Ol34S 1907. $6SS. .S1S12 1905
SS49, ,O27.A.
| At the end Of the last fiscal year, when
! business was heavier than at any other
time during the year, the lS2 national for
ests were cared for by an executive and
protective force OF twenty-nine inspectors,
ninety-eight forest supervisors sixty-one
deputy supervisors thirty-three forest as
sistants, eight planting assistants. s41 rang
ers, SCI forest guards and eighty-eight
/ clerks.
Growth of the Service.