The Ely miner., 1913-08-08
THIRD TO STATES
Minnesota Gets Percentage Of Mon.
ey From National Forest

A circular just issued by the for.
est service calls attention to the var.
ious laws under which more than
a third of all national forest re-
ceipts 60 to the benefit of the
states in which forests are situated
for schools and roads. In 1912 the
amount of money thus made avail
able for state purposes totaled about
$75O,OOO. The report does not
show the amount due from the re-
ceipts of the fscalyear which closed
June 80, 1913. Including these
the states share of national forest
funds since thelaws were passed has
aggregated over $1,000, 900.
These facts are set forth, according
to the forest service, because q
popular impression still exists that
all money received by the govern,
ment from timber seles, grazing
fees, water power permits, etc., is
permanently taken out of the states
where it is paid and goes into the
national treasury to meet the gen,
eral 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 going on fo1
years.
The circular states 'at part OF
the gross receipts OF sne national
forests was first made available for
schools and roads when the agri-
cultural appropriation act of June
80, 1906, directed the Secretary of
the Treasury to pay over to the
state or territory in which any for
est reserve was situated ten per cent
of all money received during the
fiscal year from suchreserve. The
money was to be expended by the
state or territorial legislature 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 recognized
burden imposed locally where ma
tional forests operate to prevent
much land from becoming taxable.
In 1908 the amount to be paid to
the states was increased to rs per
cent, and a proviso of the earlier
act that no more should be paid 10
a county than 40 per cent of its to-
tai income from other sources was
eliminated. Since this proviso was
removed, some of the counties re-
ceipts from national forest lands
have equalled their income from all
other sources.
In August, 1912. the agricultural
appropriation act for the year made
available an additional 10 per cent
of the money from national forests
to build and maintain roads and
trails within national forests for the
benefit of the public, in the states
from which these proceeds are de-
rived. This 10 per cent road
item," as it is called, is expended
by the Secretary of Agriculture,
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
authorities in the furtherance of
any system of highways of which
such roads may be made a part. "
The total amount expended under
this provision from the receipts OF
the. fiscal year 1912 is $2O7,295'
This was apportioned among the
states as follows: Alaska $4,675,
Arizona $24,645, Arkansas 81, 1888,
California $24,S21, Colorado $21,-
sos, Florida $9S1, Idaho $23,SO9,
Kansas $4S9, Michigon 81, Mime
sofa $503, Montana S23,e26, Ne
brarka 81 $50, Nevada $6,O34,
New Mexico $11,S5o. North Da.
kota S2S, Oklahoma 1851, Oregon
$17, ,023, South Dakota S4, 226, Utah
$13, ,5O4, Washington $12,75e,
Wyoming $12,254.