Los Angeles herald., 1909-01-31
YEAR 1908 SHOWS ECONOMY
is PRACTICED
IMPROVEMENTS FOR WORK ARE
GREATLY ENLARGED
Yield of Tree Department Resources
of United States to Public Is
More Beneficial Than
Ever Known

Oh directors, Clifford PinchOt, forester
Las just made a retrospect of the work
of the United States forest service for
the fiscal year 1908.
For the administration and protec-
ton of the 1872 national forests in sew
enteen states and territories and
Alaska the government spent $685.
O9S.O2, or about one and one-half cents
an acre. Permanent improvements, in
Guiding the construction of 340O miles
Of trails, 100 miles of wagon roads, 5000
miles of telephone lines, $50 cabins and
barns, 600 miles of pasture and drift
fences, $50 bridges and forty miles of
fire lines cost $592, 1913 Telephone
wire to build approximately 400 miles
of additional lines was shipped to the
forests, but with the funds available
before 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.
Although many needed improve
mentS could not be undertaken, the
benefits of what has been accomplished
are seen in the more convenient and
economical manner in which the for
est officers are enabled to carry on
their work and in the opening up to
forest users Of territory hitherto in
accessible. The remaining 1921, $40. 40
of the total of 3,416, 107.61 disbursed on
account of work of the forest service
was used in forest Investigations cost
ing $235, 1914, and in diffusion of for
est information and federal co-opera-
ton.
Not All Is Outgo
The forest service is one of the
branches Of the government where ev-
eryth1ng is not OutgO. Last year the
receipts from sales Of timber, grazing
fees and permits for special uses of
forest resources amounted to $1,S42,-
2SLS7, an increase of $271, 222.43 over the
1907 figures The per acre receipts
from the national forests were little
more than one cent less than five mills
under the per acre cost of administra-
ton and protection Of the forests.
The amounts paid to states and ter
ritories to be expended for roads and
public schools from the years receipts
amounted to $447O63.79 Chiefly be-
cause of increasing the revenue to the
states from 10 per cent in 1907 to %
per cent last year, there was a total
increase of 1924, OBJ. 81 in the amounts
payable to the states.
In addition the national forests yield
ed heavily to the public in free USE
There were 3O,714 permits granted for
the free use of timber by settlers,
schools and churches, during the year,
against 1889 in 1907. The number of
board feet used in this way by the pub
lie amounted to 131, 5S2, OOO valued at
$16S, 10000, compared to 60, 000, 900 feet
valued at $4,000 in 1907.
The aggregate Of free use of the for
ests for grazing cannot be exactly
known, since 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 car
ried by the forests. Settlers living on
or adjacent to the forests and prospec-
tors, 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
stockmen 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.
More Free Permits Issued
OF free special-use permits there
were issued during the year 1858. as
against a total of 1471 previously
granted. Of the latter 963 were in
force during the year.
The grazing receipts for 1908 were
$685., 829.4 40, and were paid by the hold
ers of 1885 permits to Craze 1888, POI
cattle, horses and hogs, and of 1882
permits to Craze 7,OS7,111 sheep and
goats. Receipts Of $S49, IA from
timber sales were paid by approx
mately 5189 purchasers, who cut the
equivalent Of 1872, 792, 0GO board feet of
timber. The receipts for special uses
amounted to $3O,425.25 and were paid
by 2O65 users.
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 privilege
is to make the forests contribute most
effectively to the public welfare. 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 fol-
lows: 1905. $50, 1862; 1906, $245, O13 40;
1907, $685. 813.12; 1908, $S49, 027.24.
At the end Of the last fiscal year,
when business was heavier than at any
other time during the year, the 1872
national forests were cared for by an
executive and protective force Of TWEEN
ty-nine inspectors ninety-eight forest
supervisors, sixty-one deputy super
visors, thirty-three forest assistants,
eight planting assistants, 941 rangers,
81 forest guards and Lightweight
clerks.
More Officers Used
The average area to each officer the
oretically available for patrol duty was
116, $50 acres. But more than three
fourths of the time of these forest
officers now is required by the fast
growing volume Of national forest busi-
ness, so that in point Of fact the force
on uty at the close Of the year pro-
Vided about one patrol officer to each
100000 acres of forest. This is con-
sidered inadequate for protection of
the forests Until provision is made
for a large increase of force it is nee
essary either to curtail the business
arising from use of the forests or to
neglect the proper safeguarding of
government property against fire.
Experimental broadcast sowings were
made during the year in twenty-seven
forests in the states of Idaho, Mon
tana, Washington, Oregon, Wyoming,
Colorado, Utah and New Mexico. The
total area sown was 131 acres. of
which forty-seVen We're in the Black
ILLS national forest.
About 1000 trees were planted last
year on forests in the states of Ne
braska, Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico,
Arizona, Utah, Idaho and California.
There are now growing at the planting
stations over 100000 trees which will
be ready for planting in 1909. Suffi-
cient seed was sown in the spring of
1908 to produce 100000 seedlings.
Besides administering the national