FOREST SEEVICE. 22& 



properly such uses as the leasing of summer-home sites, for which 

 there is a rapidly growing demand. 



The following table shows the purposes for which the total appro- 

 priation for the Forest Service was expended : 



Expenditures of Forest Service appropriation. 



Protection and administration of the National Forests $4, 715,961 



Fighting fires which could not be suppressed by regular protective 



force ' 150,000 



Classification, survey, and seiiresation of agricultural land, and ac- 

 complishment of authorized land exchanges 107,000 



Planting 7,043 acres of nonproducing huul, maintenance of nurseries, 



and experiments in tree planting 145,640 



Permanent improvements such as buildings, bridges, trails, telephone 



lines, drift fences, water developments'' 450,000 



Estimating the amount and fixing the minimum value of timber for 



sale 50, OOO 



Examination of intensively used ranges with a view to increasing 

 their productivity by more scientific management of stock and 



forage 30, 000 



Investigations : 



Forest products, including Forest Products Laboratory 



at Madison, Wis $173,260 



Silvicultural 78.728 



Range and forage plant 35,000 



286. 988 



Recording, digesting, and disseminating the results of scientific and 

 technical work 31, 280 



Total 5, 966, 869 



It should be noted that the receipts exceed by $78,000 the cost of 

 protection and administration on the National Forests, exclusive of 

 emergency fire expenditures, the construction of improvements, and 

 special development and research projects. In addition to this reve- 

 nue, there is an enormous return to the public through the protection 

 of five hundred-odd billion feet of timber for future use, the protection 

 of the headwaters of innimierable feeders of navigation, irrigation, 

 and hydroelectric power, and the recreational facilities made avail- 

 able to hundreds of thousands of our people. The monetary income 

 from the National Forests can be expected to increase steadily. But 

 there will always be national returns not measurable in dollars which 

 in public benefit exceed the receipts paid into the Treasury. 



These returns should be given their due weight in the policy 

 adopted toward the development and administration of the National 

 Forests. Their possibilities for public service can not be accom- 

 plished if the returns in dollars alone are entered into the ledger. 



THE NATIONAL FOREST PROPERTIES. 



The net area of the National Forests at the close of the fiscal year 

 was 156,032,053 acres, as against 153,933,700 acres one 3'ear before. 

 The corresponding gross areas were 180,299,770 acres and 174,261,393 

 acres. The gross area includes all land within the National Forest 

 boundaries; the net area excludes alienated lands. 



* An additional deficiency appropriation of $2,950,000 was required for thi.s purpose. 

 ' Of this sum nearly half Is required for the maintenance of existing improvements 

 used in the protection and administration of the National Forests. 



