The Harrison times., 1915-03-06
National Forests Much Used.

Selling some billion and a half
board feet of timber and supervising
the cutting on several thousand dh.
lerent areas, overseeing the grazing
OF more than l,5O0,OOO cattle and
7,500,o00 sheep, and building more
than coo mII, 5 Of road, 1000 miles
Of trail 5000 miles Of telephone lac,
and 700 miles of fire line are some OF
the things which the government
forest service did last year, as dis
closed ia the report by the chiet for.
ester for 1914 These actlyitieswere
all on the national forests, which az
preseat total about 100000 600
acres
There is need says the chief forest
er, to increase the cut of timber from
the national forests wherever a fair
price can be obtained for the stump
age, because a great deal oft is ma
ture and ought to be taken out to
make room for young growth, IN
favorable conditions in the lumber
trade caused new sales OF national
forest timber to fall of somewhat
during the past year, though the OPP
eratious on outstanding sales CON
tracts brought the total cut above
that Of the previous year by $780,
100000 board feet, There was,
however, big increase in small tim
Der sales, these numbering S,29S in
1914 against 6,lS2 the previous
year Desirable blocks Of utloua
forest timber have been appraiser
aud put on the market, and is e&.
pccted that these will find purchaS.
ers when conditions in the lumber
industry improve, All told, thcEoy.
eromcnt received Sl,3Ul,Oo3 66
from the sale Of timber on the forests
in 1914. The receipts from alISourc'
es totaled S2i377l02l,
After eight years of experience
stockmen are well satisfied says the
chief forester, with the way thegraz'
ing of livestock on the forests is reg.
ulated, and have even urged upon
congress the application OF the same
method of control to the uureserved
public range. Almost 10000 per-
mittecs gra2e stock on the national
forests, and these paid to the gov
ernment in the fiscal year 1914 fees
amounting to over a 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 per
mittees ON the western forests in
creased last year by 1879, while the
number OF sheep and gootpcrmittecs
fell off bv a total ol 2GS, lhc vest
ern stock business is, the forester
points out becoming attached to
the soil, and the ilinermt ST. rp
grower aud the Spectator in cattle
arc giving place to the pcrmoucutI
resident and owner Of improved
ranch property The latter is oh
WAYS given preference Ia the use of
national forest range
Some SiOO, GOO was spent by the
forest service during the year for
permanent improvements on the
national forests to make them ae'
eeSsible and 10 insure their protect
ION from ire, These improvements
include go miles of new road, 2,l53
miles Of trail 3,063 miles of tcIe
phone line, 7ii miles # fire line, and
lOG lookout structures, besides the
bridges, eorruls, fences, and cabins,
In addition, Gl2 miles of road were
built for tbs public by the use of 10
per cent ul the national forest re-
cpiplS MS authorized by congress
ludcl another lOw, % per cent ol
International forest receipts for the
year. amounting lo S1SB003 ~,
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