FOREST SERVICE. 



325 



The first comprehensive attempt to estimate the numbers of people 

 using the national forests for recreation was made in 1916, when 

 an estimated total of 2,370,000 persons was reported. Recent veri- 

 fications of succeeding estimates yield the following figures: 



Year. 



Visitors. 



1917 3,160,300 



1918 3,322,565 



1919 ' 3,964,344 



Visitors. 



4,832,671 

 5,433,420 

 6,172,942 



Thus in six years the estimated number of visitors virtually dou- 

 bled, and all indications point to a continued increase for years to 

 come. 



The use of the national forests for recreation is in all respects 

 deserving of encouragement. It means for no small part of our 

 population a valuable opportunity and privilege. Properly pro- 

 vided for, recreational use will add valuable elements to our national 

 life without seriously impairing the capacity of the forests to cre- 

 ate wealth or render other public services. But it has become clear 

 that if the annual occupancy of the national forests by increasing 

 millions of people is not properly provided for serious consequences 

 to public health and property will develop. Those frequenting 

 the forests naturally concentrate at the points offering the most 

 attractive camping facilities or the best natural opportunities for 

 outdoor play. In doing so they may create bad sanitary conditions, 

 which menace not only their own health and that of residents within 

 the forests, but also the well-being of remote residents on the lower 

 reaches of the streams and of municipalities dependent on such 

 streams for their water supply. They may also create a fire hazard 

 which adds materially to the difficulty of protecting the public 

 properties. 



The solution of this problem does not lie in the restriction of 

 recreational use, but in making adequate provision for it by the 

 installation of simple facilities essential to public health, comfort, 

 and security', such as toilets, water supplies, garbage pits or inciner- 

 ators, fireplaces, etc. In 1922 a study was made of 960 specific camp 

 grounds used by 1,355,000 people annually. For the proper devel- 

 opment and protection of these camps facilities are required to a 

 total estimated cost of $122,259, which would amount approximately 

 to 2 cents for each person using the camp grounds in a single year. 

 Most of the facilities needed bear directly on the problems of public 

 health and protection of public property. To date the total sum 

 appropriated to meet these requirements has been only $25,000. 

 This has been wholly inadequate to meet the needs of 6,000,000 

 people. An expenditure roughly amounting to 5 cents for each 

 person using the forests annually for recreation purposes would 

 permit the installation of practically all of the most necessary 

 facilities. Considering the numbers of persons who would be bene- 

 fited by such an expenditure, the probable improvement to the 

 public health, and the reduction in fire losses, it would be a distinct 

 economy to make this expenditure as rapidly as the financial situa- 

 tion of the Government will permit. 



Forested areas are the natural abiding place of game animals of 

 every kind, while the streams that find their sources therein furnish 



