The Coconino sun., 1927-11-25
NATIONAL FORESTS PLAY
GREAT PART IN ECONOMIC
GROWTH WESTERN STATES
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(C0ntlnued from page /
ment, no phone lines, no fund for con-
struction of needed physical improve
ments, and rangers maintained (that
is to say, more or less kept up) from
one to a dozen horses to suit indivld-
ual taste.
Grazing permits were free, issued
by the supervisor, and ran from 10 per
cent to 1000 per cent of what a man
actually ran There was free use OF
timber in those days on supervisor
permit but no timber could be sold
without approval of the commissioners
in Washington after ninety days ad-
vertisement so it usually took six
months to get even a small sale
through. Needless to say, there was
considerable unavoidable timber tres
pass.
Report work was confined to peri
odic timber cutting reports, claims
reports, monthly report of personal
service, and salary vouchers which
brought returns from the treasurer a
month or more later.
1t is a far cry from the working
conditions Of that time to those now
obtaining. During the intervening
period many national forests were es-
tablished or enlarged and most of the
privately owned range improvements
were built and unutilized ranges de-.
yeloped, stocked and finally over
stocked-something we are in process
of correcting. During this period the
present system of fire detection and
suppression has been worked out.
This period, too, saw the building OF
the entire forest service system OF
roads and trails, ranger station build
ings, boundary and range division
fences, telephone lines, lookout tow
ers and other fire protection improve
ments, etc. Likewise during this pe-
riod the land classification work was
begun and concluded, beginning with
the passage of the forest homestead
act of June II, 1906 and its adminls-
tration. passing through the general
land classification phase to the pres
ent or homestead patentlng perlod
which is about concluded. In this Pc
riod the whole system Of permitted
miscellaneous uses of national forest
land was worked out. 1t has seen the
development of the modern system OF
timber marking and timber sale ad-
ministration and of better range man
agement practice. In fact, since this
period includes the whole life OF the
forest service as such, it also includes
the making of substantially all ma
tional forest policy and technique In
all lines of work.
Today we are in new stage OF
forest administration, one IN which
major attention is being focused upon
the physical condition of the forest
and range growth in an effort to I'M
prove forest and range productivity.
1t is an even more attractive stage
than the earlier formative and organi-
zation stages. 1t is more appeal
ing one to forestry and community
development instincts and one that de-
mands broad public sense viewpoint
on the part of all forest officers who
expect to succeed and advance IN the
forest service. Increasingly the ma
tional forests are coming to play an
important beneficial part in the
economic, industrial and social wei
fare of the western states and their
more or less dependent communities.
1t is my hope and belief that their
usefulness and service in local devel-
opment will continue to grow not only
in fact but in public recognition.
F. C. w. POOLER.