THE SOLICITOR. 787 



of lands in the National Forests for purposes connected with the 

 generation and distribution of hydro-electric power. The former 

 regulations relating to this branch of the administration of the 

 National Forests were meager and did not cover the entire field, as 

 was developed by experience in their enforcement. The new regu- 

 lations were therefore much more numerous and comprehensive and 

 were the result of several years' investigation by the Service, in 

 wliich the opinions and views of many engineers and producers of 

 h3^dro-electric power were sought. These regulations were the sub- 

 ject of very careful scioitmy by tliis office, and numerous conferences 

 were held with, the Forester and liis assistants in regard to modifica- 

 tions or amphfications of certain of them. They were finally com- 

 pleted, together ^^■ith the instructions to forest officers and those 

 mtending to apply for permits thereunder, in December, 1910, and 

 were promulgated by the Secretary of Agriculture on the 29th of 

 that month. Immediately succeeding the promulgation of these 

 regulations those for the control and regulation of grazing on the 

 National Forests were submitted to this office for attention. The 

 grazing regulations were hkewise intended to be very much more 

 comprehensive and expficit than those heretofore existing. In the 

 course of the examination of the regulations in this office numerous 

 conferences were had with the Forester and his assistants and the 

 regulations were finally submitted to the Secretary of Agriculture 

 during ^larch of the current year and received his approval on the 18th 

 of that month. Experience in administration of the grazing privileges 

 on the National Forests had developed that some logical and sys- 

 tematic means should be provided for frequent appeals from decisions 

 of the various forest officers to the officer next liigher in rank, and 

 new regulations and instructions thereunder were made to secure 

 the right to an appeal and to provide an orderly method of invoicing 

 the right. 



Special uses of lands in the National Forests next received the atten- 

 tion of tliis office, and the regulations and instructions thereunder 

 submitted bj^ the Forest Service were examined and finally perfected 

 during March and received the approval of the Secretary of Agriculture 

 on the 18th of that month. A procedure for appeals was also fully 

 provided for in these regulations. Those parts of the proposed 

 National Forest code relating to trespass and timber sales were finished 

 during the fiscal year and were ready for submission at its close. 

 The settlement and claims parts of the code received considerable 

 attention during the fiscal 3'ear and were very nearly completed at 

 its close. 



It is believed that these regulations now rest upon a sofid and sub- 

 stantial foundation and will hi every respect meet the requirements 

 of an orderl}' and businesslike administration of the National Forests. 



TRESPASS. 



The year has ^^^tnessed marked activity on the part of forest officei-s 

 in ascertaining and reporting trespasses on the National Forests. Of 

 the various kinds of trespasses committed on the Forests none can 

 equal in disastrous consequences those embraced in the heading 

 "Fire trespasses." This was forcibly illustrated by the foiest fires 

 which swept the Northwest in the first half of the fiscal year, and not 



