The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1915-02-20
NATIONAL FORESTS MUCH USED.
Great Activities Were Noted on is5,ooo,-
900 Acres Last Year.


900 Acres Last Year.
Selling some billion and half board
feet Of timber and supervising the cut
ting on several thousand different areas,
overseeing the grazing of more than
100000 cattle and 100000 sheep, and
building more than 900 miles of road,
1000 miles of trail 5000 miles of tele-
phone line, and 700 miles OF fire line
are some of the things which the gov
eminent forest service did last year, as
disclosed in the report by the chief Tor.
ester for 1914. These activities were all
on the national forests, which at pres
ent total about lS5,000,0OO acres
There is need, says the chief forester
to increase the cut of timber from the
national forests wherever fair price
can be obtained for the stumpage be,
cause Il great deal of it is mature ana
ought to be taken out TO make room lef
Young growth. Unfayorable conditions
in the lumber trade caused new sales u
national forest timber to fall oil some
what during the past year, though the
operations on outstanding sales contracts
brought the total eut above that OF the
previous year by l30,000,O0O board feet.
There was. however, big increase ~
small timber sales, these numbering S,Z0S
in 1914 against 6,ls2 the previous year.
Desirable blocks Of national forest TIM
Der have been appraised and put on the
market. and it is expected that these
will find purchasers when conditions IN
the lumber industry improve All told,
the government received 81 ,304, 053.66
from the sale OF timber on the forests
in 1914. The receipts from all sources
totaled S2,437Tl02l.
After eight years Of experience stock
men are well satisfied, says the CHEZ
forester. with the way the grazing Of
livestock on the forests is regulated, and
have even urged upon Congress the ap.
pkcation of the same method OF control
to the unreseryed public range. Almost
10000 permittees Craze stock on inc
national forests, and these paid to the
government in the fiscal year 1914 ices
amounting TO over 81 100000. The pres
emf tendency to raise fewer sheep and
goats and more cattle and horses -
shown in the fact that the number OIL
cattle and horse permittees on the west
ern forests increased last year by LIB,
while the number Of sheep and goat PEI
mittees fell off BY total OF 26s. The
western stock business the forester
points out. is becoming attached to the
soil. and the itinerant sheep grower ana
the Spectator In cattle are giving place
TO the permanent resident aud 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 Tor permanent
improvements on the national forests to
make them accessible and 10 insure their
protection from FIRE These improve
ments include 270 miles Of new road,
l2l53 miles OF trail. 3,063 miles OF tele.
phone line. 775 miles of. fire line, and
100 lookout structures. besides bridges,
eorrals. fences, and cabins. In addl-
ton. 642 miles OF road We're built tor
the public by the use Of 10 per cent. q
the national forest receipts, as author.
lied by Congress.
Under another law. % per cent, OF the
national forest receipts for the yeaA.
amounting 10 $3.50 .593.39 were paid over
10 the various states in which the forests
lie for the benefit Of the county schools
and roads. i
since lNuH, WHth NNrt'ii"t'N
cation OF national forest lands was be-
Gun. more than l0,000000 acres have
been eliminated. Scattered interior tracts
which il Is not practical to eliminase
are opened to settlement through listing,
which allows them to be taken up un'
der the forest homestead law. Anyone
NAV apply 10 have land within a forest
examined 10 determinewhethcr Y = best
suited for agriculture, and il found so II
is opened to settlement under this law.
During the year 1900 tracts, totaln!g
2s2. asa acres. applied for by individuals
we're opened for entry BY elimination
and listing the percentage OF unpatented
agricultural land within the national
forests. never large, has been reduced
to very small amount.