The Lamar register., 1909-01-20
WORK ON FOREST SERVICE
Annual Report Shows Benefits De-
rived from this Much Abused
Branch Of the Public
Service.

ing them in lain English much as
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 forthe fiscal year 1908.
For the administration and protee-
ton of the 1872 national forests in
seventeen states and territories and
Alaska, the Government spent sz.526'-
O9s.O2. or about one and one-haI
cents an acre. Permanent improve
ments, including the construction OF
3.40O miles of trails. 100 miles of was
on roads. $500 miles Of telephone
lines, $50 cabins and barns, 500 miles
of pasture and drift fences. $50 brid-
sees, and 40 miles Of fire lines cost
s592,1s9.1s. Telephone wire to build
approximately 400 miles OF addition
al lines was shipped to the forests
but with the funds available before
the close of the year the Work Oh
construction could not be compieted-
Some of this work was done on eanh
of the forests in the United States.
Although many needed improve
ments could not be undertaken, the
benefits of what has been accomplish
ed 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
inaccessible. The remaining s2sI,-
5000 of the total Of s3.i16 ,l01.el, dis
bursed on account Of work Of the
forest service was used in forest in
designations costing s235,s5514, and
In diffusion Of forest information
and federal cooperation
The forest service is one OF the
branches 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
$1,s42 ,2s1.s7. an increase OF s211'222'-
40 over the 1907 figures. The per
acre receipts from the National for
ests were a little more than one cent
less than five mills under the per
acre cost Of administration and pro-
lection of the forests.
The amounts paid the states and
territories, to be expended for roads
and public schools from the years
receipts. amounted to s441.0sS-7s-
Chiefly because OF increasing the
revenue to the states from 10 per
cent In 1907 to rs per cent last year
there was a total increase Of $685.
03162 in the amounts payable to the
states
In addition, the national forests
yielded heavily to the public in free
use. 3D.71i permits were granted
for the free use Of timber bysettlers.
schools and churches, during the yeai
against 1889 In 1907. The number
Of board feet used in this way by the
pulic amounted to 131.5S2.oo0.. valu-
cd at s1ss.72o.00. compared to 3d.
900 900 feet, valued at $4,000 In
1907.
The aggregate Of free use Of the
forest for grazing can not be exact
ly known, since no permit Is required
to be taken out, and there Is there
fore no record preserved. It added
perhaps 10 per cent to the amount
OF stock carried by the forests. Set
tiers living on or adjacent to the for
ests, and prospectors. campers. and
travellers in them are allowed TO
Craze free up to 10 head Of milk cow
work animals, or horses in use, and
purchasers of timber and stockmen
In 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
80 may be grazed free In place OF
milk cows
OF free special-use permits there
were issud during the year 1.76s. as
against a total of 1.471 previousl!
granted. OF the latter 500 were ii
force during the year.
The grazing RECEIPTS for 1908 wer'
$685., s2s.4O, and were paid by tbs
holders Of 1885 permits to Craze i.
1882 POI cattle, horses, and hogs, ant
of 1882 permits to Craze 7.Os1.l1l
sheep and goats. Receipts OF ss4s.
O2724 from timber sales were PAID
by approximately 5,1s9 purchaser
who cut the equivalent Of Ss2.72s, 900
board feet of timber. The receipts
from special uses amounted to $50.
1888 and were paid by 2.o65 permit
tees.
The years receipts represent pro
fitable use OF the forests by SOM
10000 individuals or concerns. in ad
dition to more than 10000 gettin,
free use Of timber and other resourc
es. About onefourth Of all the tim
Der cut from the national forests
was under free-use permits
The purpose Of this free-use pri
vilege Is to make the forests contri
butte most effectively to the public
welfare. The timber given to in