Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1914-01-30
BIG TIMBER OUTPUT.
Policy Of the Forest Service Is
Summarized.

a Large Number Of National rores"
Already More Than Pay Operating
Expenses Aims Are Told
In Report Of Forester.
Wsshinxton.-More than 2.ooo, ooo'-
600 board feet Of timber. with value
az q 500 900 on the stump. was SOLO
by the forest service In 1913. accoro'
inr to the annual report OF Henry .
Graves. forester. This is an increase
Of 1877 per cent over the sales OF inc
preceding year. The timber sold was
largely for future cutting under con.
tracts that will run for q NUMBER VI
years. The actual cut was little less
than soc. 000, 900 board feet, an IN.
crease of Is per cent over lslz' sui
larger sales are in prospect.
The timber sale policy OF the tores.
service is summarized as aiming HTS.
of all to prevent losses by hre' anu
secondly to utilize the ripe timber
which can be marketed. Other ain,s
are: To cut SO as to insure res'ocA.
ing and forest permanence; to ge'
the full market value for the umoef
sold; to prevent speculative acquisf
ton and private monopoly OF puoic
timber and to maintain competi'i'e
conditions In the lumber industry so
far as possible; to provide nrst 1ol
the needs of local communities anu
industries; to open lands OF asrie',
tural value TO settlement without al
lowing them to be tied up by umoei
speculators, and finally to secure as
soon as possible the cost OF prooue'
ton and administration to the gov.
eminent and a revenue to the nationa'
forest states, to which 60 20 per cent
Of all receipts.
A large number OF national forests
already more than pay operating e1-
penses. The revenue from the ALAS.
kan forests now exceeds the cost u
administration. The same is true gen
orally in the southwest.
The forage resources Of the natlona'
forests are pointed out as contributing
to the maintenance OF over twenty
million head Of livestock, which sup
ply in part at least the demands 1ol
meat, hides, or wool of every state In
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
favora BILE and the area reduced over
4 per cent more stock was grazed as
the result OF Increased forage proouc'
ton and improvements in handing
stock. especially sheep.
The system Of range management
employed by the forest service Is held
to offer hope of relief to the average
citizen concerned over the dwindllng
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 Tor
est in Colorado took the grand cham
pionship prize at the national live
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 of 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. A
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
uonal forests In respect to their high
est future use. This work was under
taken during 1913 ON a moro compre-
hensive scale than ever before, be-
cause there was specific appropria-
lion for the purpose. Large areas are
being classified where the amount OF
land chiefly valuable for agriculture
warrants its being taken out OF the
forests, and it also takes care Of areas
on which detailed classification will
disclose small areas suitable for agri-
cultural development within the for
ests. The work Is being carried on
With the assistance of the bureau Of
soils and the bureau of plant indus
W. One result of this work was the
elimination Of 100000 acres from the
Nebraska national forest, $4,000 acres
from the Rainier, In Washington. and
49, ITO acres from the Deschutes and
Paulina In Oregon. About 100000
acres In small isolated tracts were
listed for settlement during the year.
The areas now being examined for
classification have total area OF
shout three million acres. ~.
The forests are being made increas-
ingly accessible. More than $50 miles
OF road, nearly 900 miles Of fire line.
nearly 1000 miles Of telephone lines,
and $500 miles OF trails were built.
Tho present value Of all public i'm
pRoyements on the forests Is some
what over 100000, two-thirds OF this
amount having been put into lines Of
communication and protection. b.
Receipts from all sources for the
year were slightly under $2.500,000,
showing an increase of IA per cent
over 1912, while expenditures for ad-
ministration and protection were
slightly over $4.60o,00o, showing de-
crease from 1912 OF 2 per cent. It