Pullman herald. [volume] (Pullman, W.T. [Wash.]) 1888-1989, 1909-05-07
o~.oiN Wonk
sl.a4.y Permanent improvements 10 be
Made in National Forest Re-
serve This Year

trails. telephone lines and other per
manent improvements on the Nation
al Forests. Congress has appropri-
ated the same amount for this pur-
pose during the fiscal yeer Of 1909
1910.
In order that the forest rangers
may cover the large area contained in
the district, it is very necessary that
a system of trails be constructed
along routes which give the best
control Of the areas to be patrolled.
In many districts telephone lines
have been built between the Super
visors office and ranger headquar
tiers, and to prominent peaks which
are used for lookout stations to OBJ
serve fires.
To fight forest fires effectively
II is of the utmost Importance that
force of men be rushed to the
fire as soon as possible, as these fires
can he controlld ana put out If taken
when they are small, where it would
be almost impossible to check them
after they had spread over large
area. For this reason the telephone
lines and trail systems are of vital
Importance and have played no
small part in the patrol system Which
has resulted in the remarkably small
area buried over since the forests
have been under government super
vision.
Among th1 other necessary inn
proVements provided for, the Scr
vice takes up the matter of the bet
terment of range conditions. First,
by the construction of drift fences
which are for the purpose of keep
ing stock within the area allotted to
them and save the time of the herd
ers. Second, by the improving of
springs and watering places. In
many sections of the west, large areas
have been of no value on account
of the lack of water during large
portion of the year. AS fast as pos
sible, pla ces where the loss of stock
from hiring in bog holes has been
heavy are being fenced so that the
cattle cannot get into them. Fourth,
by the fencing of poisonous areas
In certain sections of Colorado there
is poison larkspur which, during
the spring season, will poison stock
that Craze on it. These places are
being fenced and the stock kept away
from the areas until the poisonous
season is over, when they are opened
for grazing.
All of the National Forests are
divided into districts which are I'M
der the direct supervision of For
est ranger who looks after the tim
Der cItting snd grazing matters, and
patrols his district to detect and pre-
vent forest fires As the National
Forests are located in mountainous
and timbered country and have but
few settlements within their bound
aries. it is necessary to provide these
rangers with quarters convenient
to the districts over which they have
charge. These quarters consist of a
small house, a stable for his saddle
horses, a fence enclosing u pasture
for his stock, and occasionally, the
fencing of small garden patch and
small piece of hay land to provide
fodder for the stock during winter
The Forest Service also cooper
ates with the states, counties, and
communities, in the construction of
wagon roads, trails and bridges,
which will make accessible bodies of
mature lumber, and otherwise assist
in the control and use of the for
ests. An example of this co-opera-
ton is the Boise-Atlanta wagon road
This road cnnects the city of Boise,
Idaho, with the mining town of At
lanta, a place of about 800 inhabi-
tants. The road follows up the Boise
river for the entire distance with
the exception of about Z miles, be-
ginning at a point miles out from
Boise. The entire length of the road
is about SO miles from a railroad.
The former outlet was by wagon
road to the town of Mountain Home.
This road follows over high noun
tains, and is showed in during six
or seven months of the year.
The Boise-Atlanta wagon road will
be showed in for only two or three
months of the year. The road Is an
old project, about 40 miles of it hav.
ing been built out from Boise some
ten years ago. This work was done
by a fund raised from subscriptions
taken in Boise and Atlanta. In 1905
the road was extended % miles, from
funds appropriated by the State o.
Idaho. This work brought the road
to the boundary of the Sawtoott
National Forest, now the Boise Ma
tional Forest.
During the summer of 1907. the