The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1924-12-26
FORESTRY POLICY
FOREST SERVICE.
REPORT OF CHIEF GREELEY
STRESSES WORK OF THE
DEPARTMENT

The outstanding event OF The
year IN naUlonal Forestry was ths
passage OF the CiarKe-McNary For
estry Act, declare W. b. Greeiey,
Jhlef OF the FOREST Service, III his
annual report to the Secretary OF
Agriculture made pubic To-Day.
Chief Forester Greeley IN MS re-
port lays special emphasis upon the
development of a national forestry
policy IN the United States, policy
that mas heretofore been almost en-
irely lacking as Tar as the 4OO,Uoo,-
900 acres OF privately owned forest
land is concerned. 1t is from this
pylvately-ownfsd "forest land, Chief
FORESTER Greeley says, that probably
80 per cent OF the nations forest
products must come in the long lun.
Besides defining national for
estry policy, the Clarke McNary
Act provides for cooperation with
States and individuals in fighting
forest fires, for forest planting on
farms. for instruction in forestry to
farmers, for study of forest tax
alton, and for the enlargement OF
public ownership of forest land
through gift, purchase, and reserVa-
ton of the public domain.
Chief Forester Greeley in sum-
ming up this part of his annual re-
port declares that:
Among the immediate things
for which provision should be made
by the Federal Government are %
r. the establishment of a definite pro
gram and fiscal policy for the eX-
tension of the National Forests by
purchase, and (Z) concerteU
urlve for the elimination OF waste
IN the manufacture and cOnsump-
ton of lumber"
Receipts from the lat Nationa.
Forests curing the past fiscal yeal
totaled So,25U, 900, the report states
This money was received mostly
from the sale of timber, which
brought IN over S3,0OO,OU0, AM
from the sale of permits to graZe
livestock, which brought in nearly
$2,000,UU0. Miscellaneous uses such
as water power and land rentals &C.
counted tor the balance.
Expenditures for general admin
istratIon and protection of the Ma
tlonal Forests totaled approximate
ly $5,064,0O0 of which amount
about $2,O00,000 was spent on fire
prevention and suppression. Spe,
cial funds spent on forest fire fight
ing totaled $457,10O, of which
$39S,000 was spent in cooperation
with the various states. Other sums
totaling about $2,7S0,000 werl
spent on research, acquisition OF
forest lands, construction of i'm
provementS, and reforestation.
Road and trail construction with
in and adjacent to the Nationa
Forests increased in volume during
the past fiscal year. The sum Of
$9,351 900 was expended on these
projects. During the fiscal yeal
construction work on 1857 miles OF
roads and 4,S05 miles of trails wa.
completed. Maintenance work wa:
performed on 7,422 miles of high
way and 31,846 miles of trails
At the close of the fiscal year
covered by the report the Forest
Service had 157,502,793 acres un
der its jurisdiction This represent
ed an increase of 265,986 acres
during the year. One new National
Forest, the Allegheny in northern
Pennsylvania, was established dur
ing the year.
The report calls attention to the
fact that in the unreserved public
domain at the present time there
are about 100000 acres of for
est land, or land chiefly suited for
timber crops, which should be in
Guided in the National Forest sys-
tenn. In the matter of military re-
seryatlons arrangements have al
ready been made to place such areas
under the Forest Service for timber
management purposes without inter-
fering with military uses.
Under the authority of the Weeks
Law 228,004 acres were acquired
during the year at an average cost
of $3.6S per acre, thus bringing the
total acreage actually acquired
since 1911 for National Forests in
the East and South up to 2,123, $50
acres.
In sharp contrast with the pre-
ceding year the fire season of 1924
has been one of the most critical in
the history of the Forest Service,
Chief Forester Greeley states in his
report. Long continued drought in
the Pacific Coast regions made the
1924 season especially bad in Cal
ifornia. In view of the hazardous
conditions which existed in nearly
all regions fire losses were kept sur
prisingly low in all states except
California. Complete figures for
1924 are not yet compiled, bat up
to September 80 a total of 1928
fires inside of the National Forests
only had been reported, and ever
100000 acres of Federal land nad
been swept by flames. These fig
ures greatly exceed the 1923 sea-
son which was one of the most fav.
orable seasons the Forest Service
has ever known.
Sales of timber from the lat Ma,
tional Forests during the fiscal yea,
reflected the steady and substantial
westward movement of the lumber
industry from the cut-over regions
of the East. The amount of tim.
Der cut in the Federal Forests total
ed over a billion board feet OF
which more than half was furnished
by the Forests in the three Pacific
Coast States. TIE calendar year OF
1923 witnessed the largest volume
of timber sales the Forest Service
ever experienced.
Drought conditions and the foot
and-mouth disease interfered some.
what with the grazing of livestock
On National forest ranges. How.
ever, the report states that nearly
$4,000 permits were issued cover
ing the grazing of nearly 100000