REPORT OF THE FORESTER. 



United States Department of Agriculture, 



Forest Service, 

 Washington^ D. C.^ October i^j 1915. 

 Sir : I have the honor to transmit herewith a report of the work 

 of the Forest Service for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1915. 

 Respectfully, 



ELenry S. Graves, Forester. 

 Hon. D. F. Houston, 



Secretary of Agriculture. 



THE NATIONAL FORESTS. 



Presidential proclamations and Executive orders excluded from 

 the National Forests last year 1,107,224 acres of land. By acts of 

 Congress 26,618 acres were added. Area recomputations reduced th<i 

 figures of total acreage by 9,987 acres. The result was to leave 

 within the National Forest boundaries on June 30, 1915, 184,505,602 

 acres, including 21,732,322 acres of alienated land. The net National 

 Forest area, or, in other words, the area actually owned by the 

 public, was at the close of the year 162,773,280 acres. 



The Black Hills and Sundance Forests in South Dakota and 

 Wyoming, the Jemez and Pecos Forests in New Mexico, the Cache 

 and Pocatello Forests in Utah and Idaho, the Sequoia and Kern 

 Forests in California, the Michigan and Marquette Forests in Michi- 

 gan, and the Moapa and Toiyabe in Nevada were consolidated, 

 and the Nebo Forest was incorporated in neighboring Forests in 

 Utah, by Executive orders, which, however, d idnot become effective 

 until July 1, 1915. In consequence of these changes the number of 

 the National Forests at the beginning of the new year was 155, as 

 against 163, July 1, 1914. 



These Forests are administered through an organization which 

 groups them in large districts, each with its central office in charge 

 of a District Forester. The number of these districts was increased 

 from 6 to 7 on July 1, 1914, through the creation of a new district, 

 with headquarters at Washington. Previously the nearest district 

 office to Washington was that at Denver. AVhile the gi'eat bulk of 

 the National Forests lie in the far Western States, the need for ad- 

 ministering as Forests the lands purchased in the southern Appala- 

 chian and White Mountains called for the creation of a new dis- 

 trict in the East. By adding to the 15 so-called " Purchase Areas " 

 in the New England and Southeastern States the two Forests in 

 Arkansas, the Florida Forest, and the Wichita Forest and game 



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