The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1913-08-02
STATES GET THIRD
FOREST RECEIPTS

A circular Just issued by the forest
service calls attention to the various
laws under which more than a third
of all national forest receipts go to
.hc benefit Of the states in which the
forests are situated, for schools and
roads. In 1912 the amount of money
thus made available for state purposes
totaled about $750,000. The report
does not show the amounts due from
closed June 80, 1913. Including these,
the states share of national forest
funds since the laws were passed has
aggregated over $3,000,00O.
These facts are set forth, according
to the forest service, because a popu-
lar impression still exists that all
money received by the government
from timber sales, grazing fees, water
power permits, ETC., is permanently
taken out of the states where it is
paid and goes into the national treas
ury to meet the general expenses of
the government. This idea is said to
prevail, to some extent, even among
actual forest users in the national
forest states, where the division of
receipts with the states has been go
| ing on for years.
! The circular states that part of the
gross receipts of the national forests
was first made available for schools
and roads when the agricultural ap-
preparation act of June 80, 1906, di-
rected the secretary of the treasury
to pay over to the state or territory
-. rxrktn tnk IL
ated ten per cent of all money re-
ceived during the fiscal year from such
reserve. The money was to be ex-
pended by the state or territorial leg
islature for the benefit of public
schools and roads in the counties in
which the forest reserve lay. This
legislation was recommended by the
forest service because of the recog-
nized burden imposed locally where
national forests operate to prevent
much land from becoming taxable.
In 1908 the amount to be paid to
the states was increased to 25 per
cent, and proviso of the earlier act
than no more should be paid to a coun-
ty than 40 per cent of its total in
come from other sources was eliminat-
ed Since this proviso was removed,
some of the counties receipts from
national forest lands have equalled
their income from all other sources.
In August, 1912, the agricultural ap-
preparation act for the year made
available 10 per cent OF the money re-
eeived from national forests to build
and maintain roads and trails within
national forests for the benefit of the
7 kAk. Il. A.
proceeds are derived. It's 10 per
cent "road item,'' as it is called, is
expended by the secretary of agricul-
ture, who may, according to the act,
whenever practicable in the con-
struction and maintenance of such
roads, secure the cooperation or aid
of the proper state or territorial au-
| thorities in the furtherance of any
system of highways of which such
roads may be made a part The to-
tai amount expended under this pro-
vision from the receipts of the fiscal
year 1912 is 1907 ,295. This was ap.
portioned among the states as fol
lows: Alaska .$4,675, Arizona $24,-
645, Arkansas $2,2S3, California $24,.
S21, Colorado $21 SOB, Florida 1891
Idaho $23,s09, Kansas $4s9, Michigan
So, Minnesota $5O3, Montana $23 1926
Nebraska $1,63O, Nevada $6,O34, New
Mexico $11,s5O, North Dakota $23
Oklahoma 1851, Oregon $l7,023, South
Dakota $4,226, Utah $13,504, Wash.
ington $12,75s, Wyoming $l2,254
| The Weeks law of March 1, 1911
providing for the acquisition of lands
in the Appalaehians, provides that
five per cnt of moneys received from
each national forest into which the
lands acquired are divided be turnd
over to tn state for its public schools
and roads. Nv Mexico and Arizona
besides the sums befor mentioned, are
entitled to approximately IL per cent
of the gross proceeds of all national
forests in those states in return fol
the state school sections within ma
tional forests. This provision is EN-
bodied in the act of June 20, 1910
authorizing the admission of the two
new states.