The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1915-02-27
THE NATIONAL FORESTS.

Selling some billion ana = half
board feet Of timber and supervising
the cutting on several thousand diff
ferent areas, overseeing the grazing
Of more than 100000 cattle q. I T.
5000 sheep. and building more than
500 miles of roa I. 2.00) miles OF trail.
5000 miles Of telephone line. and TOO
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 1s5.0Oo.ooo acres.
There is need. says the chief for
ester, to increase the cut OF timber
from the national forests wherever
fair price can be obtained for the
stumpage. because q great deal Of 1t Is
mature and ought to be taken out to
make room for young growth. Unfa-
vorable conditions In the lumber trade
caused new sales Of national forest
timber to fall off somewhat during
the past year, though the operations
on outstanding sales contracts brought
the total cut above that of the pre-
vious year by 130.O00,0OO board feet.
There was. however. q big increase in
small timber sales. these numbering
s.2ss in 1914 against s.1s3 the pre-
vious year. Desirable blocks Of ma
tional forest timber have been APP
praised ana put on tho market. and it
il expected that these will find pur-
chasers when conditions in the lumber
industry improve. All told, the gov
eminent received $1.3o4.o53.e5 from
the sale OF timber on the forests in
1914. The receipts from all sources
totaled $2,437.710.21.
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 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 govern
ment in the fiscal year 1914 fees
to over q 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 1879, while the number
of sheep and goat permittees fell off
by a total of 268. The western stock
business, the forester points out, is be-
coming attached to the soil. and the
itinerant sheep grower and the specu-
lator in cattle are giving place to the
resident and owner of i'm
proved ra. h property. The latter Is
always given preference in the use OF
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, g.
063 miles Of telephone line. IT'S miles
of fire line, and 106 lookout struc-
lures, besides bridges. corrals, fences,
and cabins. In addition. 642 miles of
road were built for The public by the
use Of 10 per cent of the national for
est receipts, as authorized by con-
gress.
Under another law. Is per cent of
the national forest receipts for the
year, amounting to $586,5S3.39, 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 1t 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 1t Is best suited
for agriculture. and IL found so it Is
opened to settlement under this law.
During the year $3.50 tracts. totaling
2S2,4S3 acres, applied for by indi-
viduals were opened for entry. By
and listing the percent
age of unpatented agricultural land
within the national forests, never
large, has been reduced to a very
small amount