The evening herald. (Klamath Falls, Or.) 1906-1942, 1919-03-11
TUESDAY. MARCH II. 1919
FOREST ROADS
To BE BUILT
NOW RAPIDLY

POR1LAND, MArcn IL he ue-
velopment of the National Forest
road systems in Oregon and Washing
ton is given great impetus by the
terms of the Post Office Appropria-
tion Act, which the President has
Just signed. Besides, increasing by
$4,000 900 the total fund available
under the Federal Aid Roads Act,
the new law makes available for ex-
penditure by the Secretary of Agri-
culture 100000 for roads and
trails within or partly within the For
ests.
The law also authorizes the Secre-
tary of War to transfer to the Secre-
tary of Agriculture material, equip
ment, and supplies suitable for high
way Improvement and not needed by
the War Department. While most of
this will be distributed among the
highway commissions of the states
for use on federal aid projects, not
TO exceed ten per cent may be reserv-
ed by the Secretary of Agriculture
for use in building National Forest
roads or other roads constructed un-
der his direct supervision.
The $9,000,000 fund may be used
for maintenance as well as survey and
construction. The new legislation,
like the Federal Aid Roads Act,
makes the building of roads and
trails necessary for the use and de-
velopment of National Forest re-
sources or desirable for the proper
administration. protection and i'm
provement of any Forest contingent
upon local contributions; but in addi-
ton to this it contains new feature
of much Importance.
This new feature permits the Sc
cretary of Agriculture, without the
cooperation of local officials, to
build and maintain ANY road or trail
within a National Forest which he
finds necessary for the proper admin
istration, protection, and improve
ment of such Forest, or which in his
opinion is of national Importance"
In the view of forestry officials this
law is the most important step ever
taken for rapid development OF
National Forest roads sytsem. and
will be of inestimable benefit to the
local public.
''The measure gives us much
broader scope for a fully developed
program than we have had before
says Henry S. Graves, chief OF the
Forest Service. in commenting on
the new law Under the Federal Aid
Roads Act we had available, for roads
within or partly within the Forests,
one million dollars year, available
until expended Owing to the war,
which practically halted the WORK,
we have an accumulated balance Of
$4,000, 900 unexpended and another
100000 which will become avail
able July /.
'sOf the new appropriation $1,000
900 is Immediately available, and
S3.OOO,00O will become available
July /. There will also be available
100000 or more from the ten per
cent of National Forest receipts. AL
together. therefore, we have in sight
for the coming year about 10000
900, II we can use it advantageously
Whatever we cant use advaRtageous~
ly will be added to the $4,OOO,OOO OF
new money that becomes available
the following year.
1--WE already have our plans for ap-
proved road projects sufficiently
shaped up so that prompt start will
be possible as soon as the weather
permits. In some cases. however
these plans must necessarily be sus-
pended on account of pending pro-
.posals for the creation of National