Abbeville progress. (Abbeville, Vermilion Parish, La.) 1913-1944, 1914-01-31
BIG TIMBER OUTPUT
Policy of the Forest Service Is
Summarized.
A Large Number Of National Forests
Already More Than Pay Operating
Expenses-Its Aims Are ToId
in Report Of Forester.

cravss forester. This is an increase
or rG- Nor cent over the sales OF Tue
rracsIiug wear. The timber sold Was
LARGELY for future cutting unueH Coz"
tracts that VIII run for number OIL
years The actual cut was H'iie less
man 500 100000 board feet, an III
crease of l. per cent over 1917. SUI
larger sales are IN prospect
The timber sale policy Of the forest
service is summarized as aiming HTS,
or all 20 prevent losses by hre' ana
secondly TO utilize the upe u'AOel
which can be- marketed. Other aims
ara. To cut so as TO insure Iestoch-
ing and forest permaneuce; To seO
Tho full market value Tor the umoef
sold; To prevent speculative acquIa'
ton and private monopoly OF puo''c
timber and to maintain competitive
conditions in the lumber industry 80
far as possible; TO provide hrsI loI
the needs of local communities anu
industries. to open lands OF agTIcul-
ural value to settlement without al
lowing them to be tied up by uhOer
SPECTATORS. and nHally to secure IS
soon as possible the cost OF produc'
ton and administration to the gov
eminent and a revenue TO the nauohal
forest states. to which 20 - per cent
of all receipts.
4 large number Of national forests
already more than pay operating eA-
penses The revenue from the Alas-
kan forests now exceeds the cost OF
administration. The same Is true gen
orally in the southwest.
The forage resources of the natonaI
forests are pointed out as contributing
to the maintenance of over tWehI!
million head of livestock, which sup
ply in part at least the demands lot
| meat. hides. or wool of every state III
/ the union. The receipts from graz
| ing during 1913, though second 10
| those from timber were more than
| million dollars, and showed an IN
/ crease over the previous year IN spite
| of the fact that the season was less
| favorable and the area reduced. over
4 per cent more stock was grazed as
the result of increased forage produc-
ton and improvements in handling
stock especially sheep.
The system of range management
employed by the forest service is held
TO offer bope of relief to the average
citizen concerned over the dwindling
supply of meat products and their
alarming rise in cost. The national
forests furnish abundant forage sup
plies. opportunity for the adoption OF
the best methods, freedom from live
stock diseases, and protection in the
enjoyment of all rights and privileges.
Cattle from the Hayden national for
est In Colorado took the grand cham
pionship prize at the national i've
stock show in Denver, and in many
cases the lambs from the forests
topped the market. Losses from pre-
datory animals are growing less as
the wolves, bears, and other animals
are killed off by forest officers.
In connection with the grazing work
the forests serve to protect game, and
the Wichita forest, with its buffalo
herd, is one of the show places OF
Oklahoma. During the year the
service co-operated with the biological
survey in placing over two hundred
elk on various national forests.
large number of streams were stocked
with trout fry.
One of the largest tasks of the serv
ice during the past year has been the
classification of lands within the ma
tional forests in respect to their high
est future use. This work was under
taken during 1913 on more compre
hensive scale than ever before, be
cause there was a specific appropria
ton for the purpose. Large areas ar
being classified where the amount o
land chiefly valuable for agricultur'
warrants its being taken out of tn
forests, and it also takes care of area
on which detailed classification vii
disclose small areas suitable for agri
cultural development within the fol
; ests The work is being carried Of
, with the assistance of the bureau o
soils and the bureau of plant indus
try. One result of this work was tn
elimination of 100000 acres from tn
Nebraska national forest, $4,000 acre
from the Rainier. in Washington, an
413,770 acres from the Deschutes an
, Paulina in Oregon. About 10000
acres in small isolated tracts wer
listed for settlement during the veal
The areas now being examined TO
classification have q total area c
about three million acres.
The forests are being made increa'
inSly accessible. More than $50 mile
of road, nearly 300 miles of fire line
nearly 1000 miles of telephone line.
and $500 miles of trails were bull
The present value of all public in
provements on the forests is some
, What over $4,000 900, two-thirds of thi
amount having been put into lines c
colmlL cation and protection.
Receipts from all sources for tn
| va were silently under 81, 10000,
ST., oi. % N n-~..Ase of IA per Ger
over 1872 while expenditures for az
| ministraDon and protection wer
. slightly over s46OO,0 900. showing a d,
I crease from 1yl- of 2 per cent.
y is pointed out that the work of e,
, aiming and appraising timber pric
to sale is seriously behind hand i