The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1909-01-27
s2,526,OS9 ON FORESTS
Uncle Sam Proves the Value of
the Forestry Department.
A GREAT INCREASE IN TIMBER

What Has Been Accomplished Is
Shown by the Annual Report just
Published. Some Interesting Facts
and Figures Bearing on This Work
of the Government. Nearly 1000
Persons Employed in Carrying on
the Work.
WASHINGTON.-Listing receipts
and expenditures and explaining
them in plain English much as
railroad president reports to his
board of directors, Clifford Pinchot,
forester, has 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
seventeen states and territories and
Alaska the government spent ST.
526, 098.02, or about one and one
half cents an acre. Permanent i'm
proVements, including the construc-
ton of 8,400 miles of trails, $50 cab
ms and barns, 900 miles of pasture
and drift fences, $50 bridges and 40
miles of fire lines cost 1892, 169.19.
Telephone wire to build approximate
ly 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.
During the past year the grazing
fees and permits for special uses of
forest resources amounted to ST.
842,281.87, 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 administration and
protection of the forests.
The amounts paid the states and
territories, to be expended for roads
and public schools, from the years
receipts amounted to $447,O63.79.
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
granted for the free use of timber
by settlers, schools and churches dur
ing the year, against 1899 in 1907.
The number of board feet used in
this way by the public amounted to
131 $4,000, valued at $168,720,
compared to 63,000,00O feet, valued
at $4,000 in 1907.
The aggregate of free use of the
forests 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. 1t added
| perhaps 10 per cent. to the amount
of stock carried by the forests. Set
tiers living on or adjacent to the
forests, and prospectors, campers and
| travellers in them are allowed to
| Craze free up to 10 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
80 may be grazed free in place of
milk COWS.
The grazing receipts for 1908
were $962,829. 40, and were paid by
the holders of 1885 permits to
Craze 1,382,221 cattle, horses and
hogs, and of 1892 permits to Craze
|
Ceipts of $849, 027.24 from timber
sales were paid by approximately s.
189 purchasers, who cut the equiva-
lent of 392,792,000 board feet of
! timber. The receipts from special
uses amounted to $3O,425.23 and
were paid by zoos permittees.
The years receipts represent
profitable use of the forests by some
10000 individuals or concerns, in ad-
ditiOn to more than 10000 getting
free use of timber and other re-
sources. 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 contribute
most effectively to the public well
| A1l - L AC CIl4DCA SlFCA W lLulh III
uals 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 admins
tration of the forest service have
been as follows: 1905, 0,13662;
1906, $245,013.49; 1907, $668,
SHIP; 1908, $849,027.24.
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 29 inspectors, 90 forest supervis-
ors, 81 deputy supervisors, 33 forest
assistants, planting assistants, GAL
rangers, 521 forest guards and SO
clerks.
About 100000 trees were planted
last year on forests in the states of
Nebraska, Kansas, Colorado, New
Mexico, Arizona, Utah, Idaho and
California. There are now growing