The Coconino sun., 1914-07-24
ENVIRONMENTS ON
 NATIONAL FORESTS

NSiy ySdi SOpSiCSo dpPlopii-
 ates a specific fund for permanent
 improvements on the National
 Forests. For the fiscal year com
 mencing July I, 1914, and ending
 June 30, 1915, District 3 of the
 Forest Service, comprising the
 National Forests of New Mexico
 Arizona and Oklahoma, has re-
 ceived an allotment of S45,ooo to
 be expended exclusively for pro-
 tective, administrative and range
 improvements. Protective i'm.
 provements include telephone
 lines, roads, trails, bridges, fire
 breaks, lookout towers, cabins
 and shelters for lookout men and
 patrolmen, and fire tool boxes.
 Administrative improvements com
 prise improvements that are needed
 by the regular administrative force
 and include houses or cabins for
 the rangers, barns and pastures
 for the rangers, horses, wells,
 windmills, tanks, cisterns and
 other improvements of miscella-
 neous nature. Range improve
 ments refer to drift fences, which are constructed for the purpose of conhning cattle grazing to certain
 ranges, water development pro-
 jects such as to construction of earthen tanks to open up unused ranges, the development of springs
 by cleaning them out and piping water to troughs, and corrals for holding cattle on the open range and branding calves.
 In addition to the allotment of S45, 1000, 10 per cent of the re- ceipts of the Forest will be avail able for the construction of roads within the Forests. The amounts received from this source for the fiscal year commencing July I, 1912, and ending June 30, 1913, was $3o,8o8.oS apportioned as follows: New Mexico SIP, ,514.oe; Arizona S27,1Is.So; Oklahoma S26o.28. Thus, it will be seen that the amount annually avail able for permanent improvements is approximately $S4, 4,S9S.o7, de- pending, of course, on the amount of annual receipts as we'll as the amount appropriated by Congress.
 The total acreage of National Forests in District 3 is 2o,163,- 278 acres, exclusive of lands owned by the state, corporate in- terests and private individuals. Based on this figure, the annual cost of improvements per acre is approximately 5000 Strictly speaking, this is an investment charge, yet the returns in dollars and cents would be extremely difficult to ascertain. It is known however, that roads may make accessible large bodies of timber which otherwise would not be sold, telephone lines by reason of rapid communication may be the means of saving thousands of feet of timber from fire, likewise roads and trails will permit of ready access to country that otherwise would mean serious delay and great loss in case of fires. To develop water on unused ranges permits the grazing of more cattle pr sheep and likewise increase grazing receipts.
 Of the S45,ooo allotment, ap- oroximately $27,ooo, will be ex- pended for protective improve nents. Over 200 miles of new lines will be constructed md the existing telephone lines | which total about 1000 miles will ( ,e maintained. Approximately r % miles of new trails will be and existing trails re- | ,aired. l
 One project of unusual interest 5 will consist of a thorough clearing nd. disposal of inhammable ma erial along the sO-called scenic