EEPOET OF THE SECRETARY OF AGRICULTTJRE. 51 



apparent that the Government must purchase and control the more 

 strategic areas. With this end in view the act of March 1, 1911, 

 established a National Forest Eeservation Commission and authorized 

 it and the Department of Agriculture to proceed with the acquisition 

 of lands at the headwaters of the navigable streams. It was neces- 

 sary in the East to acquire by purchase the same class of lands which 

 in the West were put into National Forests merely by proclamation. 

 An appropriation of $11,000,000 was made for these purchases, 

 to be expended during the fiscal years 1910 to 1915. It has not been 

 practicable to use the entire sum; a portion lapsed before contracts 

 of purchase could be completed. The commission has approved the 

 purchase of lands in 16 localities of the southern Appalachian and 

 White Mountains, involving a total area of 1,317,551 acres. This has 

 been acquired or bargained for at an average price of $5.22 per acre. 



The funds made available under the first appropriation are nearly 

 exhausted. In its report to the Congress for the fiscal year 1914 the 

 commission recommended that purchases be continued until about 

 6,000,000 acres shall have been obtained and that the Congress author- 

 ize appropriations through another five-year period at the rate of 

 $2,000,000 a year. 



As fast as the eastern lands are acquired they are placed under an 

 administration similar to that of the western forests. Already on 

 these lands, of which 348,275 acres had been paid for on June 30, 

 1915, headway has been made in overcoming fires and in starting 

 the Forests toward increased productiveness. Situated for the most 

 part near densely populated communities, the resources of these 

 lands are readily available. There is immediate need for their tim- 

 ber, mineral, water, and forage resources and also for their develop- 

 ment as recreation grounds. Purchases should continue until areas 

 sufficient to be influential in protecting the region are acquired. 



Alaska forests. — Two of the 155 National Forests are in Alaska. 

 The Tongass comprises approximately 15,000,000 acres in southeastern 

 Alaska, while the Chugach, covering the timbered area about Prince 

 William Sound and thence westward to Cook Inlet, contains about 

 5,500,000 acres. Most of the timber on them is of the coast type, 

 Sitka spruce, hemlock, and cedar being the predominant species. On 

 the Tongass single spruce trees not uncommonly reach a diameter of 6 

 feet, a height of 200 feet, and a yield in merchantable material of 

 20,000 board feet. Limited areas carry 100,000 board feet to the acre, 



