The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1915-02-25
NATIONAL FORESTS MUCH USED

board feet Of timber and supervising
the cutting on several thousand differ
ent areas, overseeing the grazing Of
more than 100000 cattle and 7,500,-
900 sheep, and building more than GOO
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 Of the chief forester for
1914. These activities were all on the
national forests, which at present total
about Is5, 10000 acres.
There is need, says the chief for
ester, to increase the cut of timber
from the national forests wherever a
fair price can be obtained for the
stumpage, because great deal OF II IS
mature and ought to be taken out to
make room for young growth. I'm
| favorable conditions in the lumber
trade caused new sales of national for
est timber to fall off somewhat during
the past year, though the operations
on outstanding sales contracts brought
the total cut above that of the previous
year by 10000, 900 board feet. There
was, however, big increase in small
timber sales, these numbering S,29S in
1914 against 6,1S2 the previous year.
Desirable blocks of national forest
timber have been appraised and put on
the market, and it is expected that
these will find purchasers when condi-
tons in the lumber industry improve.
All told, the government received ST.
304 ,053.66 from the sale Of timber on
the forests in 1914. The receipts from
all sources totaled $2,4377l0.21,
After eight years of experience
stockmen are well satisfied, says the
chief forester, with the way the graz
ing of livestock on the forests is regu-
lated, and have even urged upon con-
gress the application of the same
method of control to the unreserved
public range. Almost $4,000 permit
tees Craze stock on the national for
ests, and these paid to the government
in the fiscal year 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 permittees on the
western forests increased last year by
$40, while the number Of sheep and
goat permittees fell off by total Of
26S. The western stock business, the
forester points out, is becoming at
tached to the soil, and the itinerant
sheep grower and the Spectator in
cattle are giving place to the perman-
/ ent 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 for
est service during the year for per-
manent improvements on the national
forests to make them accessible and to
insure their protection from fire.
These improvements include 270 miles
of new road, 2,153 miles of trail,
3,063 miles of telephone line, IT'S miles
of fire line and 106 lookout structures,
besides bridges, corrals, fences, and
cabins. In addition, GAP miles of road
were built for the public by the use of
10 per cent of the national forest re-
ceipts, as authorized by congress.
Under another law, % per cent of
the national forest receipts for the
year, amounting to $586,593.39 were
paid over to the various states in
which the forests lie for the benefit Of
county schools and roads.
Since 1909, when systematic CLASH
fication of national forest lands was
begun, more than 100000 acres
have been eliminated Scattered in
terror tracts which it is not practical
to eliminate are opened to settlement
through listing, which allows them to
be taken under the forest homestead
law. Anyone may apply to have land
within a forest examined to determine
whether it is best suited for agricul-
ture, and if found so it is opened to
settlement under this law. During the
year $500 tracts, totaling 282,4o3
acres, applied for by individuals were
opened for entry. BY elimination and
listing the percentage of unpatented
land within the national forests, never
large, has been reduced to a very small
amount.