THE FORESTER. 179 



The exchange of Government and private lands in the Sierra Na- 

 tional Forest and Yosemite National Park, to protect the scenery in the 

 park, as mentioned in the last annual report, was finally consummated 

 by an agreement reached between the Secretary of Agriculture and 

 the Secretary of the Interior upon one hand and the owners of tim- 

 berland upon the other, executed January 23, 1915. By the terms of 

 this agreement the timber owners transfer 4,505.35 acres to the Gov- 

 ernment and receive in return 4,000 acres of land from which the tim- 

 ber can be cut without affecting public scenic values. The exchange 

 of lands authorized by the act of May 13, 1914, mentioned in my last 

 report, was consummated during the past fiscal year, and final patent 

 issued June 7, 1915. It was not found possible to effect any exchanges 

 under the act of June 24, 1914, authorizing such exchanges in the 

 Ochoco National Forest of Oregon, owing to the difficulty of effect- 

 ing exchanges of small areas with the requirement that the lands 

 must be equal in both area and value. 



ACQUISITION OF LANDS. 



On recommendation of the Forest Service, the National Forest 

 Reservation Commission approved for purchase during the year 

 under the act of March 1, 1911, 282,900 acres in the Southern Ap- 

 palachians and White Mountains. The total approved is now 

 1,317,551 acres, of which 348,275.66 acres have been acquired and 

 paid for. On 196,629 acres condemnation proceedings are pending. 

 The remainder awaits the completion of survey or title examination. 

 These lands are being placed under administration and their resources 

 developed as rapidly as they are acquired. 



COOPERATION WITH STATES. 



Protection from forest fires in cooperation with the States, under 

 section 2 of the Weeks law, was continued during the year by virtue 

 of a Federal appropriation of $100,000. This protection is confined 

 to State and private lands on the forested watersheds of navigable 

 streams. To the 18 States with which the Government cooperated 

 in 1913 were added Virginia and North Carolina, which established 

 protective systems during the year and qualified for assistance under 

 the terms of the act. 



Federal allotments are made to the several States so as to accom- 

 plish the most effective results in the safety of important watersheds 

 and the education of the public as to the value and practicability of 

 forest-fire protection. Prior to 1915 the maximum annual allotment 

 to any State was $10,000. The inclusion of a larger number of States 

 has now made it necessary to reduce the maximum allotment to $8,000. 

 A contingent is retained to meet urgent conditions occasioned by 

 serious fires in any State which may thus require special assistance. 



The Government funds are used almost exclusively for the em- 

 ployment of lookout watchmen on mountain stations, or of patrols. 

 Approximately 300 Federal employees are maintained in the field 

 during the fire season, guarding an area of about 13,000,000 acres. 

 The average cost of this protection is about three-fourths of a cent an 

 acre. The Federal expenditures, however, are less than one-fifth of 

 those of the States, while the funds spent By private owners, in- 

 cluding some 40 timber protective associations, probably equal the 

 Federal and State expenditures combined. 



