The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1913-01-12

THE change of name from forest
reserve" to national reserve
was to get away from the
idea that the forests were not
to be used. They are! Forest
1eserces had become firmly fixed
in the public mind as an area Of
timbered land which was reserved from
use. Even yet, with the timber cut,
the sheep and cattle grazed the sum-
mer residences occupied, and the water
power developed, this idea still fingers
among those who have not informed
themselves. Use Is the keyword of the
administration Of the. national forests.
To emphasize this, the first set of in
structions were called The Use Book"
The bulk OF the Ian included within
their boundaries is primarily timber
and The highest economic use of the
forests will be to use them perpetually
for the growing n marketing of tim
Der. While this is the principal pur-
pose, there are a great many other
uses that the lands can be put to, such
as agriculture. grazing, mining. water
power, apd special uses of all kinds,
and it is and always has been the
policy of the forest service to make
every resource of the forest available
for public use.
The administration is made local and
flexible. Six district headquarters were
established at points throughout the
west. at Missoula. Denver, Albu-
querque, Ogden, San Francisco and
Portland. sfhese offices in charge of
a district forester handle timber sales
up to 20, O0O 1000 feet without reference
to Washington. They also direct the
policies and range the distribution of
money to the. various forests. The unit
of organization is the forest, which is
under a forest supervisor. The author
ity OF the supervisors in charge of the
national forest has continually been en-
larged. and, in turn. 50 has the author
ity and responsibility of the district
rangers having charge of zach unit of
the forest.
Since the rangers come in most di-
rect contact with the people, authority
was given them to make sales up to
$50 in value, issue free use permits to
settlers and miners and in fact to act
directly on a large proportion of the
business which comes up in his dis
trict.
"Red Tape Gone.
In the administration of a business
as large and as widely scattered over
the country as Is that of the national
forests it is necessary to keep the poll
cies and procedure fairly uniform in
order to insure that the public is re-
ceiving the same treatment under the
same rules and regulations throughout
the country. To a superficial observer
many of these restrictions are CLASH
fled as red tape while in reality most
Of them could not rightfully be classed
under that head. Red tape" is un-
necessary routine and requirements.
Uniformity of policy or procedure, is
system. On account of congressional
limitations, decisions of the comptroller
of the treasury and many legal de-
cisions affecting governmental work,
there is and always must be more !
safeguarding requirements than in pri-
vate business. This is inherent and
necessary to protect the many inter-
ests involved.
The Organization.
AS o organized. only important
matters are referred to the district
forester for consideration. The super
visors handle most of the business di-
rectly affecting the. public and only
a. very small minority of the business
must be referred to the Washington
office to secure action. This is usually
the class of business for which there
T. no Sracial haste and which pvolyaS