The Leavenworth echo. [volume] (Leavenworth, Wash.) 1904-current, 1919-03-21
LARGE APPROPRIATION FOR
NATIONAL FOREST ROADS
Much Money Will Be Spent This Sum
mer in Building New Roads and
Improving Others

Washington is given great impetus by
the terms of the post office appropria-
ton act, which the president has Just
signed. Besides increasing by $780,
100000 the total fund available under
the federal aid roads act, the new law
makes available for expenditure by
the secretary of agriculture, S9O00,-
900 for roads and trails within or
partly within the forests.
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 reserved
by the secretary of agriculture for use
in building national forest roads or
other roads constructed under his di-
rect supervision.
The 100000 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 neces-
sary for the use and development of
national forest resources or desirable
for the proper administration, protec-
ton and improvement of any forest
contingent upon local contributions;
but in addition to this it contain new
feature of much Importance.
This new feature permits the secre-
tary of agriculture, without the CO.
operation of local officials, to build
and maintain "any road or trail within
a national forest which he finds neces-
sary for the proper administration,
protection and improvement of such
forest, or which in his opinion is of
national Importance" In view of for
estry officials this law is the most i'm
portant step ever taken for rapid de-
velopment of national forest roads
system, 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,
III commenting on the new law. "Un-
der the federal aid roads act we had
available, for roads within or partly
within the forests, one million dollars
year, available until expended. Ow-
ing to the war, which practically
halted the work, we have an accumu-
lated balance of $2,500,000 unexpend-
ed and another 100000 which will
become available July /. Of the new
appropriation S3,0O0000 is immediate
" available and 100000 will be-
come available July 1. There will also
be available 100000 or more from the
ten per cent of national forest receipts.
Altogether, therefore, we have in sight
for the coming year about S10,0OO,00O,
if we can use it adyantageously.
Whatever we can't use advantageously
will be added to the 100000 of new
money that become available the fol-
lowing year.
eve 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 propo-
sails for the creation of national parks
affecting national forest lands. 1t
would be obviously improper to ex-
pend the funds intended and voted by
congress for the development and pr
lection of the national forests on areas
which may soon cease to be national
forests.
This legislation will not only make it
easier to protect the forests without
costly expenditures to fight bad fires
in accessible localities, but will also
help enormously the many small COM
munities and scattered settlers in and
near Lle IOTeSlS WIN INV NSA
lack of roads. 1t will also enable the
construction of important trunk line
roads crossing the mountains, with
suitable provisions of subsidiary roads
One result will unquestionably be
marked development of recreational
use of these great national play
grounds, with their wealth of too little
known attractions. Altogether, the
opening up of the forests to more
complete and varied use by the public,
which is the fundamental object Of
their administration, will be tremen-
dously advanced"
Under the law preference is given
to the employment of honorably dis
charged soldiers, sailors and marines
for the required labor
NOTHING DOING
The Democratic administration went
into war unprepared and came out I'M