MANY USES OF THE FORESTS 



A LMOST every conceivable use to rights of way for conduits, ditches, and 



/ \ which land may be put is repre- flumes, practically all of these being 



£ \sented in the permits reported by free. Various agricultural permits come 



the Forest Service for special third, telephone lines fourth, with more 



projects on the national forests. Some than a thousand permits for 6,500 miles 



of the uses shown range, alphabetically, of ii„e, and drift fences for the control 



from apiary through brickyard, cannery, ^f grazing animals, fifth. In both of 



cemetery, church, cranberry marsh, fox ^j^^g^ j^^^^er classes, too, practically all 



ranch, marine railway, rifle range, and ^f ^j^^ ^^^^^5 ^^^ f^^^ Reservoirs for 



stalioif "^ ^" ' ' "^ "^^'^"^ "'^'■^ ^^^" ^^^ ^''^ P'™'^' ^^'^ 



/TA1 ■ ^f. f^f^f. -^ • £ r issued for the occupation of more than 



ihere are 15,000 permits m force tor ^^^ „„„ • ^i at^i . r 



such special uses, which are distributed 100,000 acres, come sixth. The rest of 



geographically from Alaska to the Mex- t^^^ uses are not classified,_ though there 



ican line, and east to Florida. This fig- ''^^e ^ large number of apiaries camps, 



ure does not include any of the 27,000 summer hotels, and schools. The use 



permits in force for grazing cattle and of the government's lands for schools 



sheep on the forests; nor the 6,000 is given free; for hotels a charge is 



transactions for the sale of timber, and made. 



the more than 38,000 permits issued last The principle which governs the 

 year for the free use of timber by set- charge is based, according to the Forest 

 tiers, miners, and others in developing Service, on whether or not the use of 

 their homesteads and claims ; nor the land is sought by the permittee for a 

 nearly 300 permits for water-power de- commercial purpose. If it is the intent 

 velopment. of the user to make money from a re- 

 California led all the national forest source which belongs to the whole peo- 

 states in the number of these special pie, the Service holds that he should give 

 use permits, followed by Arizona, Colo- a reasonable return for that use. If, on 

 rada, Montana, and New Mexico in the the other hand, farmers want to use 

 order named. The largest single class government land for their own tele- 

 of permits was for special pastures, or phone lines, irrigation works, and 

 corrals, to be used for lambing grounds, schools, the government gives them that 

 shearing pens, and the like. Next came use without cost. 



Railroads and Forest Fires 



New Jersey is said tn have the greatest proportion of railroad mileage of any State in 

 the countr\-, or one mile of railroad to every three square miles of territory. This makes 

 an unusual risk of forest fires set by railroads. 



Building Forest Trails 



The heavj- storms in southern California during the past rainy season wiped out many 

 miles of trails in the national forests of that part of the State. Tliey are now being relniilt 

 for the coming summer, for use in fire protection. They are also of great use to tourists, 

 campers, and prospectors. 



Perhaps a Bad Fire Season 



In many parts of the West snow is leaving the mountains earlier than usual. Foresters 

 say tliat this may mean a bad fire season, and they are making plans for a hard campaign. 



365 



