The silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1909-1925, 1915-05-27
HOUSTON PARTY
VISITING FORESTS

OF Agriculture Houston and party ar
rived late Tuesday evening from Mis-
soula, being near the end of an exten-
sive tour of the national forests to en-
able the Secretary to find out for him
self to what extent their timber, for
age, water power, recreational and ag
ricultural resources are being devel-
oped for the public under present
methods and to make a study Of the
administrative problems of the forest
service. His visit to the forests in
several of the western states, spending
part of the time in the wilds, was for
the purpose of obtaining frst-hand i'm
pressions of the conditions under which
the forest service works.
Although / was not able to see as
much of the country and conditions
far back from lines of travel as / de-
sired,'' said Mr.. Houston, "evidence
is not lacking of great possibilities for
local interests and those nationwide
| in the administration of the national
forests. Numerous irrigation, reservoir
and power projects are wholly or in
part dependent on national forest pro-
lection of watersheds, and it is begin
ming to be generally understood that,
aside from actual farming on national
forest land, the agricultural interests
of the west are much concerned in
the conservation of water supplies ao-
complished by the forest service
through lessened fire damage and reg
ulated grazing. In Southern California
the interest in maintaining a forest
cover on the mountains from which
local water supplies are derived is so
keen that for number of years local
funds have been raised and paid over
tc the department of agriculture in or
der to provide for more intensive pro-
lection than the federal appropriations
make possible
Under the methods employed in
handling the livestock grazing bust
ness of the national forests, agricultu-
raj development is benefited not only
through the prevention Of injury to
watersheds but also through the oppor-
tunities opened for ranch development.
As new settlers locate near the forests
room is made for their stock by cut
ting down, if necessary, the number
of stock allowed the larger permit
tees. More than 100000 cattle,
sheep, and hogs, including young,
stock, will find forage this year on the
national forests. The revenue from
; this source is expected to exceed
81 100000 in 1915.
Zone of the difficult administrative
Iproblems, now being rapidly work. ed
out, is that of agricultural dsvelor
ment of lands more valuable for farm
than for forest purposes. Extensive
, land classification has been made pos.
slble by special appropriation OF
Congress for this purpose, renewed
each year since 1912. Up to date, about
10000 agricultural homesteads have
been listed within the national forests
J opening to agricultural development
nearly 100000 acres of forest land
D In addition, certain amount of agri
cultural development is provided fol
4 under special use permits, where f,l
5 any special reason listing does not af
ford a practicable means of meeting
settlers needs.
"More than $4,000 special use per
mits of all kinds have been issued tt
the public since 1905, granting free OF
f for reasonable charge permission t,
J, conduct all sorts of enterprises on na
9 tional forest land. They include apia
g ries, barns, boat houses, botanical gar
= dens, cemeteries, churches, cottages
golf links, hotels, mines, minera
SpftHSas UDstrFdtOT1es, orchards, quar-
ries, railroads, ranches, residences, res
I taurants, rifle ranges, roads, sanitari
ums, saw mills, slaughter houses, tele
n graph and telephone lines, tenni
f courts, tramways, tunnels, water powe
o plants, wells, weirs, and wharves TIL
f total income from special use permit
e in 1914 was over $131 900.
e Farmers, prospectors, and local sci
: tiers Of all classes, who needed timbt
n for their own use in the construction
h of houses, barns, fences and the like
/. were given free more than 100000 90
I: feet of national forest timber durin
W 1914, while about 100000 was sol
4, to settlers, ranchers and others at eos
= prices The timber sale business of tn
national forests amounts to abou
$l,250,000 annually, more than 1900
100000 board feet of stumpage havin
x been sold to lumber operators las
year.
a gfTka Foracfc oonfafr most of fh