176 ANNUAL EEPOETS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGEICULTURE. 



OTHER SPECIAL USES. 



Permits for the occupancy of National Forest lands for other 

 than water-power uses issued during the year numbered 5,597, of 

 which 2,674 were free. At the close of the year 7,G94 pay and 10,374 

 free permits were in force. The area covered by those issued during 

 the year was 272,372 acres, and by those in force at the year's close 

 1,087,623 acres. 



IMPROVEMENTS. 



The construction and maintenance of improvements on the Na- 

 tional Forests were conducted with an appropriation of $400,000, 

 supplemented by the incidental contribution of the time of Forest 

 officers. This contribution, however, was less than in former years 

 because of the heavy demands imposed by a severe fire season. 

 The projects completed during the year comprised 108 miles of road, 

 1,719 miles of trails, 2,287 miles of telephone lines, 166 miles of fire 

 lines, 102 lookout structures, 35 bridges, 267 miles of fence, 696 

 dwellings, barns, and other structures, 23 corrals, and 202 water im- 

 provements. Cooperative projects carried on with funds, materials, 

 and labor contributed jointly by the Forest Service and communi- 

 ties, associations, and individuals and included in the above figures 

 consisted of 81 miles of road, 191 miles of trails, 113 miles of tele- 

 phone lines, 31 miles of fire lines, 55 miles of fence, 26 bridges, 2 

 lookout structures, 5 corrals, and 27 water improvements. 



Since taking charge of the National Forests the Forest Service has 

 been steadily extending as rapidly as possible the lines of communica- 

 tion into hitherto inaccessible regions, both for the purpose of better 

 fire protection and to open up the country. The great bulk of the 

 funds expended on improvements has been devoted to new proj- 

 ects. The upkeep cost due to the destruction of telephone lines, 

 buildings, etc., by fires, the washing out of roads, trails, and other 

 means of communication by winter storms, and the like, to say 

 nothings of ordinary wear and tear by use, now demands and will 

 increasingly demand heavy allotments for maintenance. In National 

 Forest District No. 1 it was necessary during the year to devote 

 $35,000 out of a total allotment for improvement purposes of 

 $86,000, or over 40 per cent, to the maintenance of existing improve- 

 ments in usable condition. 



The estimated value of all improvements on the 'National Forests 

 at the close of the year was $5,223,000, of which 66.1 per cent repre- 

 sents works of communication and protection. 



ROAD AND TRAIL BUILDING FOR LOCAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT. 



The regular improvement work, the primary object of which is the 

 better equipment of the Forests for administrative purposes, is sup- 

 plemented by road and trail construction in the interest of com- 

 munity development. The latter work is made possible by the pro- 

 vision of law which appropriated for this purpose 10 per cent of the 





