The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1915-06-27
FOREST WORK
SATISFACTORY
SAYS HOUSTON

Oltlal HOOOlOty
Makes Report of a Months
Tour through National
Reservations.
es.ra.c 70, s1 r,.r n. .i ro. .s
WASHINGToNs June es-The fgst1
hand Impressions and experiences
gained on his thirty day tour OF the
rational forests are%descrfbed as
valuab1eD by Secretary OF Asr5cz1ture
Houston in letter which he has sent
on his return to Washinton to the
chief forester. expressing his approval
OF the administrative work and meth
DDS of the forest service
Starting out with the expressed
intention OF seeing the work with his
own eyes and studying on the ground
the principal problems involved IN
managing and developing the toGestl
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, at
times on foot and horseback, and get
ting into personal touch. not only
with the rangers and guards. but With
homesteaders, cattlemen. lunaber5acksl
and others among whom the 1oTestl
officers do their work.
A Big Program.
: especially desired to famIl1arizeI
snayseH," says the secretary In his let
ter to the forester. with admin
istratfve machinery and business
methods, to acquaint myself with the
grazing conditions, the water power
the timber operations,
the relation ofsthe forests to agTicul-
ture. the road and trail and Other I'M
provements. the recreationa use Of
some of the typical homestead claims.
I was Afforded an opportunity to see
typical forests in each of the districts
and some of the more striking oper-
ations Of each OF them
II reEret that Is was physically
impossible Tor me TO visit more of the
forests in each district feel how
ever, that accomplished nay main
purposes and that the results OF my
trip are nva1uable- was exceed.
ingly g1atifed with the evidence OF
enthusiasm. loyalty and devotion to
duty on the part of all representa-
tives of the department. with whom q
came IN contact / was especially ma
pressed with the intelligent and SYM
pathetic attitude between the forest
service and the users OF the forests
and OF all communities dependent up
on them It was pleasing to observe
that IN the forests themselves the
CAL TWO-FOREST WORK
residents and other users look to the
forest officers, not only for lnforma-
ton bearing on forestry problems IN
which they are Interested, but also
for assistance in many other matters:
The efficient and sy mpathetic handing
of forestry problems on the part OF
the service; in the interest not Only
of the nation. but particularly OF the
sections IN which the forests are To-
Gated. gives promise OF the success
fuf solution of any problems that may
confront US.
Niles OF New Roads
In a statement Supp1ementlnS ms
letter. Secretary Houston said that
among the first of the activities with
which he came in conac-swa -he rec
regional use OF the rational forests
,under which upward. of a. million
persons every year travel. camp, hunt u
fish or maintain summer homes and re-
sorts in the forests The tour Of
inspection beasn ON the Santa
forest. New Mexico, where many sum
mer homes have been built IN the
mountains. In the Cocon1no and rus
AVIAN fortss, Arizona, which border
the famous Grand cans'on. IN Esec5s
tarv was particularly impressed ne
said. by the necessity OF improve
ments which Will make the canyon
more accessible to the public and
which are being Constructed, by the,
forest service on these and other tor-
,ests as rapidly as funds permit, near
" 1000 miles OF road and agVV
niles Of trail having been built on all
OF the national forests up 70 daee
Protection Of Watersheds
: On the Angeles forest, in southern
California the secretary SAD ne saw
a striking illustration of the 1n1po11Z
ance OF forest protection OF water.
sheds. which in This, locally has con-
+rlb11ted to the irrigation developuentt
that instwenty years has transformer
a desert INTO onesof the most Hour
iss1snx agricultural sections OF the.
country. He visited some OF the Ell
100 towns and cities which der1Ses
their domestic water supply Io1n
national forests and AFTER crossfnS
fhe Sierra. Nevada range IN an auto
n,obf1a that vas fitted to the railway.
Win special Hanged wheels he m
spected one of the largest aterspoWS
ser projects on the forests tourteen
million dollar plant operated under
permit on the Sierra national fQre
with regartf to water power, deVeF
onraent Of which is go1nggsso acnyely
the depart mento agnculturess
the secretary said that
heSsaw no need for a change nsthel
exsting system OF control except for
hesitation to permit long term leas7S
ing of water power sites ~ -
Millions of Trees Crowns
Stock owuesin the West said fhes
secretary are more. than satisfied
with the departmenta1 regulations nm
der which improved range conditions
are brought about along with the.
grazing Of INCREASING n11naberss %. i've.