The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1915-06-27
Public Sentiment Towards
National Forests Changing,

The first-hand impressions and ex-
pressions and experiences gained on
his thirty-day tour Of the National
Forests are described az Invaluable"
b. Secretary Of Agriculture Houston
in a letter which he has sent on his
return 70 Washington 10 the Chief
Forester. expressing his approval Of
the administrative work and methods
Of the Forest Service.
Starting out with the expressed in
tentiou Of seeing the work with his
own eyes 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
wiids on logging locomotives, auto
mobiles, horseback, and at times on
foot and getting into personal touch,
not only with the rangers and guards.
bat with homesteaders, cattlemen,
lumberjaeks. and others among whom
the Forest officers 40 their work.
Il especially desired to familiarizs
myself" says the Secretary In his
letter to the Forester, with the ad-
ministrstive machinery and business
methods, to acquaint myself with the
grazing conditions, the water-power
developments. the timber operations.
the relation Of the Forest to agricul-
ture, the road and trail and other inn
/ provements, the recreational use of
the Forests. other uses, and to see
some Of the typical homestead
claims. ! was afforded an oppor-
tupity 70 see typical Forests in each
Of the Districts and some Of the more
striking operations Of each Of them"
/ In a statement experimenting his
letter, Secretary Houston said that
among the first Of the activities with
which he came in contact vas the
/ recreational use Of the National For
ests, under which upward Of a million
+ persons every year travel. camp,
hunt. fish or maintain summer homes
and resorts in the forests. The tour
Of inspection began on the Santa Re
Forest, New Mexico. where many
summer homes have been built in the
mountains. In the Cocoino and
+ Tusayan forests, Arizona, which Dor
der the famous Grand Canyon, the
Secretary was particularly impressed,
he said. By the necessity Of improve
ments which viii make the canyon
more accessible 20 the public and
which are being constructed by the
+ Forest Service on these and other
forests as rapidly as funds permit,
nearly 5000 miles Of road and n 900
miles Of trail having been built on
all Of the National Forests up to
date.
I on the Angeles Forest, in southern
. California, the Secretary said. he
saw a striking illustration Of the inn
|portance Of forest protection Of water
sheds, which in this locality has con-
tributcd to the irrigation development
that in twenty years has transformed
desert into one Of the most flourish
/ ing agricultural sections Of the coun-
try He visited some Of the 100
towns and cities which derive their
domestic water supply from National
( Forests and, after crossing the Sierra
Nevada range in an automobile that
was fitted 20 the railway with special
/ Hanged wheels, he inspected one Of
/ the largest water-power projects on
the forest, a fourteen-miilion dollar
I plant operated under permit on the
/ Sierra National Forest. With re.
gard TO water power. development Of
which is going on actively under the
+ Department Of Agriculture's regula.
tious. the Secretary said that he saw
no need for a change in the existing
system Of control, except for leRisla,
ton 70 permit tong-term leasing Of
Sater-p0wer sites.
| Stock owners in tire West, said IN,
Secretary, are more than satisfied
with the departmental regulations
under which improved range eondi
tions are brought about along will
the grazing Of increasing mum
bers Of livestock. Of which riors
than IS million. mainly sheep, cattle