FOREST SERVICE. 399 



been born since the arrival of the antelope. During the spring 5 head 

 of elk -were received from Wyoming, making a total of 6 head now 

 within the game refuge. 



In addition to the national game refuges a number of State game 

 preserves are included within the National Forests. By State law 

 the Minnesota and Superior Forests are State game preserves, the 

 killing of all classes of game being prohibited. The last session of 

 the Montana Legislature established a State game preserve at the 

 head of the Gallatin River in the Gallatin National Forest. Other 

 areas where the killing of game animals is prohibited by State law 

 are: One within the Bighorn National Forest; one within the Teton 

 andTarghee National Forests; one within the Boise National Forest; 

 and one within the Monterey National Forest. In practically all of 

 the Forests containing State game preserves, the forest officers hold 

 commissions as deputy State game wardens and play an important 

 part in the enforcement of the State laws. 



PERMANENT IMPROVEMENTS. 



The purpose of the construction of permanent improvements on 

 the National Forests is to facilitate (1) protection from fire, (2) the 

 administration of the business of the Forests, and (3) the develop- 

 ment of their resources. A complete system of communication by 

 trail and telephone, tying together all parts of a National Forest, is 

 as essential for its protection as an adequate patrol force. The 

 administration of the Forests requires the construction of quarters for 

 field officers and facilities needed in the regulation of the use of forest 

 resources, such as drift fences and sheep-counting corrals. The 

 development of the resources of the National Porests demands, in 

 addition to the primary system of communication, the construction 

 of roads and of stock-watering facilities and similar appliances, often 

 needed to make forage and other latent resources available for use. 

 Such improvements, while developing and increasing the value of the 

 National Forests as public property, are made primarily with reference 

 to the immediate needs of the local public in their use. 



The completion of the primary system of communication, a funda- 

 mental factor in fire protection, has been and must for many years be 

 the cliief effort of the Service in the construction of improvements. 

 All other ends sought must be subordinated to tliis. 



A limited amount of improvement work can be done with the labor 

 of regular employees during short periods when their administrative 

 and protective auties will permit. The spare time of the present 

 force, however, is hardly sufficient to maintain existing improveironts 

 in serviceable condition. It has been necessary, therefore, to meet 

 the cost of nearly all of the new construction work on National 

 Forests from the specific appropriations for this purpose. 



The improvement appropriation for the fiscal year 1911 was 

 $275,000, as against §600,000 for the preceding year. It amounted 

 to but SI. 08 per square mile on the total acreage of National Forest 

 land. Over one-fifth of the amount appropriated was required for 

 needed repairs and the remaining funds were but two-liftlis of the 

 amount available for new construction in the preceding fiscal year. 



Only the most urgent projects could be taken up. Most of the 

 work related directly to improved fire protection. With 60 per cent 



