FOREST SERVICE. 421 



BRANCH OF OPERATIOX. 



The mapping and other work necessary to giving effect to the 

 information obtained during the past year in the field examinations 

 of the National Forest boundaries mil be completed, and recom- 

 mendations made of the additional boundary changes necessary to 

 complete the elimination of lands not chiefly valuable for Forest 

 puri)oses, and, so far as is possible under the law, the inclusion of 

 outside lands which are chiefly valuable for those purposes. 



The making of permanent improvements will or necessity be at a 

 reduced rate during 1911 because of the fact that the appropriation 

 for this purpose is less than half that for 1910. The $275,000 appro- 

 priated is approximately $1.06 per square mile of territory \vitliin 

 the National Forests, exclusive of Alaska and Porto Rico. Keeping 

 the present means of communication on the Forests in repair will 

 doubtless consume a considerable part of the amount available, 

 while the burning of a number of cabins and other improvements in 

 the forest fires of the Northwest creates a further demand upon this 

 fund for replacement. The amount of new work, therefore, can not 

 be large. 



The most important single problem of administration of the 

 National Forests is to perfect a system of fire protection. Not only 

 will the work of constructing trails, fire lines, and telephone lines be 

 pusli'd as rapidly as the funds available permit, but steps mil be 

 taken to determine the most efl^ective and most economical methods 

 of organizing a patrol and fighting fires. The work in connection 

 with fire protection may be grouped under the following heads: 



(1) Extension of the system of roads, trails, and telephone lines. 



(2) Construction of special fire lines at critical points, including 

 the burning over of broad strips where this is practicable. 



(3) The development of signal stations and watch towers. 



(4) Experiments to develop the most practical systems of signal- 

 ling, including the use of the heliograph, special lights at night, 

 telegraph, etc. 



(5) Experiments in the disposal of inflammable slash. 



(6) Tests of methods and cost of fighting fires, including the use of 

 trenches, back-firing, etc. 



(7) Development of a system of patrol, looking to the necessities 

 of each Forest for normal and abnormal seasons. 



(S) Study of the efl'ect of forest fires on soil, reproduction, rate of 

 growth, etc. 



Cooperation with States, communities, and individuals against fire 

 will bo continued. In the case of railroads operating within National 

 Forests it is hoped to extend considerably the method of entering into 

 cooperative agreements for joint acticm against fii'es, with acceptance 

 of responsibility by the railroads for all losses resulting from fires 

 wliicli start along the rights of way unless the locomotives burn oil or 

 use efficient spark arresters, or unless the companies show that the 

 fires were not caused b}^ the railroads. 



As an additional safeguard against heavy deficiency expenditures, 

 such as were necessary during the disastrous fires of 1910, the esti- 

 mates for the next year will provide for an appropriation of $120,000 

 to be used in the temnorary employment of extra men for patrol work 

 during the months wnen the danger of fire is greatest. The amount 



