The Snowflake herald., 1913-09-19
STATES GET A THIRD
OF FOREST RECEIPTS


Forest Service calls attention to
the various laws under which
more than a third of all National
forest receipts go to the benefit
Of the state in which the forests
are situated, for schools and
roads. In 1912 the amount of
money thus made available for
state purposes totaled about $3.50
900. The report does not show
the amounts due from the re-
ceipts of the fiscal year which
closed June 80, 1913. Including
these, the states share of Nation
al Forest funds since the laws
were passed has aggregated over
So, ,OO0,O 900.
These facts were set forth, ac-
cording to the Forest Service, be-
cause a popular impression still
exists that all money received by
the government from timber
sales, grazing fees, water power
permits, and etc., is permanently
taken out of the states where it
is paid and goes into the national
treasury to meet the general ex-
penses Of the government.
This idea is said to prevail, to
some extent, even among actual
forest users in the National For
est states, where the diversion of
receipts with the states has been
going on for years.
The circular states that part of
gross receipts of the National
Forests was first made available
for schools and roads when the
agricultural appropriation act of
June 80, 1906, directed the sec
retary of the treasury to pay over
to the state or territory in which
any forest reserve was situated
ten per cent of all money received
during the fiscal year from such
resurve. The money was to be
expended by the state or terri
torial legislature for the benefit
of public roads and schools in the
counties in which the Forest Re-
serve lay. This legislation was
recommended by the Forest Ser
vice because Of the recog-
nized burden imposed locally
where national forests operate to
prevent much land from becom-
ing taxable.
In 1903 the amount to be paid
to the states was Increased to
25 per cent, and proviso of the
earlier act that no more should
be paid to county than forty
per cent of it's total income from
other sources was eliminated.
Since this proviso was removed,
some of the counties receipts
from national forest lands have
equaled their income from all
other sources.
In August, 1912, the agricul-
tural appropriation act for the
year made available an additional
ten per cent of the money re-
ceived from national forests to
build and maintain roads and
trails within the national forests
for the benefit of the public, in
the states from which these pro-
ceeds are derived. This ten per
cent road item,'' as it is called,
is expended by the Secretary of
Agriculture, who may, according
to the act, whenever practic-
able in the construction and
maintenance of such roads. secure
the cooperation or aid of the
proper state or territorial author
tiles in the furthnrance of any
system of highways of which
such roads may be made part. -
The total amount expended under
this provision from the receipts
of the fiscal year 1912 is $207, 295.
This was apportioned among the
states as follows: Alaska So, CTS,
Arizona $24, 645, Arkansas So, 283,
California $24, 821, Colarada $21,-
SOB, Florida 1881, Idaho $23, 809,
Kansas $489, Michigan So, Mimi
esota $503, Montana $23, 926, Ne
braska ST, $50, Nevada $6,O34,
New Mexico $11, $50, North Da-
kota $28, Oklahoma $451, Oregon
SIT, ,O23, South Dakota $4, 226,
Utah $13, 5O4, Washington $12,-
758, Wyoming $12, 254,
TLo VWoo1zc low 0f Moroh