South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1915-02-28
FORESTS PROVE
THEIR VALUE AS
REVENUE SOURCE
National Government During
1914 Received S2,437,710,-
Il From 185,000,000
Acres of Timber Land.

Selling some billion and a half
board feet of timber and supervising
the cutting on several thousand differ
ent areas, overseeing the grazing of
more than 100000 cattle and $780,
600 sheep, and building more than 500
miles Of road 1000 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 by the chief forester for
1914. These activities were all on the
national forests, which at present total
about 1S5, 100000 acres.
There is need, according TO the chief
forester, to increase the cut of tim
Der from the national forests WhereN er
a fair price can be obtained for the
stumpage, because a great deal of it
Is mature ID ought to be taken out
TO make room for young growth. I'm
favorable COZ ditiOns in the lumber
trade caused new sales Of national
forest timber to fall off somewhat
during the past year, though the oper-
ations on outstanding sales contracts
brought the total cut above that Of
the previous year by 100000
board feet. There was, however, a
big increase in small timber sales,
these numbering 8,29S in 1914,
against 6,1S2 the previous year. De-
Sirable blocks OF national forest tim
Der have been appraised and put on
the market and it is expected that
these will find purchasers when con-
ditions in the lur Der industry i'm
prove. All told, the government re-
ceived $1,304,053.66 from the sale of
timber on the forests in 1914. The
receipts from all sources tOtaled ST.
437.71O.21.
StocLmen Approve Regulations.
After eight years of experience
stockmen are well satisfied, says the
chief forester, with the way the graz
ing Of live stock 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 10000 permit
tees Craze stock on the national for
ests, and these paid to the govern
ment in the fiscal year of 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 horse permit
tees on the western forests increased
last year by 1919, while the number
of sheep and goat permittees fell off
Il
business, the forester points out, is
becoming attached to the soil, and the
itinerant sheep grower and the spec
ulatOT in cattle are CiTlng place to
the permanent resident and owner of
improved ranch property. The latter
is always given preference in the use
of national forest range.
Some 100000 was spent by the
forest service during the year for
INN
tiOnal forests TO make them accessible
and to insure their protection from
fire. These improvements include go
miles of new road, 2,153 miles of
trail, 1908 miles of telephone line,
775 miles of fire line, and 106 lookout
structures, besides bridges, corrals,
fences and cabins. In addition, 642
miles of road were built for the pub
lie by the use of 10 per cent Of the
national forest receipts, as authorized
by congress.
Under another law. % per cent of
the national forest receipts for the
year. amounting TO $5S6,593.39, were
paid over 10 the various states in
which the forests lie for the benefit
Of county schools and roads
Much Land il Settled.
Since 1909. when systematic CLASH
dcatiOn OF national forest lands was
begun, more than 100000 acres
have been eliminated. Sea tered in
terror 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
have land within a forest examined
to determine whether it is best suited
, for agriculture. and if found so il is
opened to settlement under this law.
During the year $3.50 tracts, tOtalins
2S2.4S3 acres. applied for by indi-
vidualS were opened for entry. By
elimination and listing the percentage
OF unpatented agricultural land with
in the national forests, never large,