The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1915-06-24
SEC. HOUSTON PLEASED.
With Local Sentiment in Favor of Gov
eminent Conservation Policy.

The tirst-hand impression and expert
encc gained on his thirty day tour o
the national forests are described as lin
valuable by Secretary of Agriculture
Houston in letter which he has sent
on his return to Washington to the CHIEF
forester, expressing his approval of the
administrative work and methods of the
forest service.
Starting out with the expressed inten-
ltion of seeing the work with his own
leyes and studying on the ground the
principal problems involved in managing
and developing the forest resources of
the country, Secretary Houston visited
Typical forests in each of the six great
forest districts of the west, penetrating
into the wilds on logging locomotives,
automobiles, horseback, and at times on
foot, and getting into personal touch,
not only with rangers and guards, but
with homesteaders, cattlemen, lumber
jacks, and others among whom the for
est officers do their work.
Il especially desired to familiarize
myself" says the secretary in his let
ter to the forester, with the admins
trative machinery and business meth
DDS, to acquaint myself with the grazing
conditions, the water-power develop
ments, the timber operations, the rela-
ton of the forests to agriculture, the
road and trail and other improvements,
the recreational use of the forests, 9th
or uses, and to see some of the typical
homestead claims. | was afforded an
opportunity to see typical forests in
each OF the districts and some of the
more striking operations of each of them.
II regret that it was physically i'm
possible for me to visit more of the for
ests in each district. ! feel, however,
that | accomplished my main purpose
and that the results of my trip are in
valuable. / was exceedingly gratified
with the evidence OF enthusiasm, loyal
ty and devotion to duty on the part of
all representatives of the department
with whom | came in contact I was
especially impressed with the intelligent
and sympathetic attitude between the
forest service and the users of the for
ests and of all communities dependent
upon them. 1t was pleasing to observe
that in the forests themselves the resi- |
dents and other users look to the forest |
officers, not only for information bear
ing on forestry problems in which they |
are interested. but for assistance in many /
other matters. The efficient and sym
pathetic handling of forestry problems
on the part of the service, in the inter-
est not only of the nation. but particu-
larry of the sections in which the for
ests are located, gives promise of the
solution OF any problems that
may confront us
In statement experimenting his let
ter. Secretary Houston said that among
the first OF the activities with which he
,ame in contact was the recreational use
IF the national forests, under which up
travel. camp. hunt. fish or maintain sum-
ner homes and resorts in the forests.
The tour of inspection began on the SAN
"a Fe forest. New Mexico, where many
summer homes have been built in the
In the Coeonino and Tuessy-
IN forests, Arizona, which border the
amous Grand Canyon. the secretary was
impressed, he said, by the
necessity Of improvements which will
make the canyon more accessible 10 the
he public and which are being construct
d by the forest service on these and
Their forests as rapidly as funds per-
nit, nearly 5000 miles Of road and 81
90 miles of trail having been built on
n Of the national forests up 10 date. {.
On the Angeles forest. in southern
alifornis. the secretary said. he saw a Z
tnking illustration Of the Importance
/ forest protection Of watersheds, which :
this locality has contributed 20 the
rigation development that in twenty
cars has transformed a desert int one
/ the most h0urishine agricultural sec
ons Of the country. he visited some
/ the 100 towns and cities which de-
" their domestic water supply from
,tional forests and. after crossing the
srrs Nevada range in an aut0mobils
at was fitted % the railway VITA
,ecial. Hanged wheels. he inspected one
the largest vater-p power projects On
u forests. a fourteen-r million dollar
ant opernted under permit on the Sier
national forest. With regard - wat
power. development Of which i going
actively under the department II ng
miturfs regulations. the secretary said
81 hs saw 10 need for = change in the
isfinr srstem 81 eontrol. except fer
rislsfiou o. permit long tern leasing
wster -romer SITES.
~fafk oamefs In the wrsf- said The
frtaff. ere more than snffsfed Hffh
p dsgia rf snsssfai negotiations un3sF Whirh
proved range conditions are bFmught
sut sionr nifh fbe grazing II ifrrsa--
{ numisrs uf lirrstask IF Hhifh morn
- rs mllfiun. nainir strfr. rattif. :
3 horsss. uvw rruzs annually @n tirs
f5usrI fnrssss ~ thr lngrfur and i.
n nrersfiuls on sruf If tlt hsE tir-- n
-s-ir f-airass 81 she nnuzlzs 81 caun /,
: - Oregon and washington. tl,s 49, q
srr $50. - uEs rftstied tu 80 rrueh q
: f-rF Eunairdrs ~ frs rrttertiun >,
Z srr-r~fatfrr iaEriur 81 csrried ~ a
Der rnterrrnrff rrEaiatt1t. nuf - q
wmararE tAe Ftfa~rs8atiun wuFk fns .
- f-n~ seq e. ffteen nniIiisn frrEs ,
-. $500 rIa = Hraaraf aarHarr