New Britain herald., 1915-02-23
REPORT OF CHIEF
 FORESTER FOR 1914
Government Sold Billion and Half
 Feet Of Lumbar Last Year.

Selling some billion and a half board feet of timber and supervising the cutting on several thousand different areas, overseeing the grazing of more than 1,50O,000 cattle and 7,50O,0OO sheep, and building more than 500 miles of road, 2,OOO miles of trail, 5000 miles of telephone line, and 700 miles of fire line are some of the things which the government forest service did last year, as disclosed in the report of the chief forester for 1914. These activities were all on the national forests, which at present total about 1855, 100000 acres.
 There is need, says the chief for ester, to increase the cut of timber from the national forests wherever a fair price can be obtained for the stumpage, because a great deal of it is mature and ought to be taken out to make room for young growth. Unfavorable conditions in the lumber trade caused new sales of national forest timber to fall off somewhat during the past year, though the op erations on outstanding sales con- tracts brought the total cut above that of the previous year by 130,000,- 900 board feet. There was, however, a big increase in small timber sales, these numbering S,298 in 1914 against 6,182 the previous year. Desirable blocks of national forest timber have been appraised and put on the mar ket, and it is expected that these will find purchasers when conditions In the lumber industry improve. All told, the government received S1,- BOA, ,053.66 from the sale of timber on the forests in 1914. The receipts from all sources totaled s2,437, ,710.21.
 Stockmen Satisfied.
 After eight years of experience stockmen are well satisfied, says the chief forester, with the way the graz ing of livestock on the forests is reg ulated. and have even urged upon congress the application of the same method of control to the unreserved public range. Almost 29,0O0 permit tees graze stock on the national for ests, and these paid to the govern ment in the fiscal year 1914 fees amounting to over million dollars. The present tendency to raise fewer sheep and goats and more cattle and horses is shown in the fact that the number of cattle and horses permit tees on the western forests increased last year by 1,579, while the number of sheep and goat permittees fell off by a total of 26S. The western stock business, the forester points out, is becoming attached to the soil, and the itinerant sheep grower and the specu- lator-in cattle are giving place to the permanent resident and owner of inn proved ranch property. The latter is always given preference in the use of national forest range.
 Some $400,O00 was spent by the forest service during the year for permanent improve1nen on the ma tional forests to make them acces- sible and to insure their protection from fire. These improveme ents in clude 27O miles of new road, 2,153 miles of trail, 3,063 miles of telephone line. 775 miles of fire line, and 106 lookout structures, besides bridges, corrals. fences, and cabins. In ad- dition, GAP miles of road were built for the public by the use of ten per cent of the national forest receipts, as authorized by congress.
 Anyone May Apply.
 Under another law, twenty-five per cent of the national forest receipts for the year, amounting to $5S6,- 5e3.39. were paid over to the various states in which the forests lie for the benefit of county schools and roads.
 Since 1909, when systematic classi- fication of national forest lands was begun. more than 10,OOO,OOO acres have been eliminated. Scattered in- terior tracts which it is not practical to eliminate are opened to settlement through listing, which allows them to be taken up under the forest home stead law. Anyone may apply to