REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 255 



method of administering them L^y in the organization and mainte- 

 nance of districts with headquarters at a convenient point in each 

 district. So, on December 1, 1908, G districts were organized in the 

 West, where, of course, all the National Forests were situated. This 

 system has resulted in their successful and businesslike adminis- 

 tration. 



Prior to the creation of the National Forests stockmen were accus- 

 tomed to use the lands embraced in them without regulation in any 

 respect by the Government, and the Government not only received 

 no return for the valuable resources furnished, but there was also 

 constant fi'iction, sometimes even approaching border warfare, be- 

 tween owners of different kinds of stock, or even between owners of 

 the same kinds, growing out of the natural tendency of individuals 

 to monopolize the more valuable areas for their own profit. The 

 department, under its authority to regulate the use of the lands in 

 the National Forests, has by carefully planned regulations provided 

 for the use of grazing lands, and all stockmen are afforded an oppor- 

 tunity to enjoy the privileges which the forests can provide and the 

 Government receives a compensation for the use of its grazing lands. 

 Some hostility to the permit system of administering the grazing 

 lands was encountered for a time, but it can confidently be said that 

 the stockmen of the West now regard the administration of grazing 

 lands on the National Forests as conducive to the peace and welfare 

 of everyone who desires to graze stock thereon. Since the Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture assumed control of the National Forests the re- 

 turns from grazing permits have averaged $1,000,000 a year, and at 

 the same time users of the forests have had the benefit of a rate of 

 charge much below the rate prevailing on private lands in the same 

 vicinity. The validity of the grazing regulations has been sustained 

 by the United States Supreme Court. 



At the time of the transfer of jurisdiction over the National For- 

 ests to the Secretary of Agriculture a number of very extensive 

 timber trespasses had been committed, both on lands prior and sub- 

 sequent to their inclusion in forest reserves. The department made 

 careful investigation into all these trespasses, and during the last two 

 or three years brought them to the attention of the Attorney General. 

 Suits were instituted, and the Government has recovered upwards 

 of half a million dollai-s for these depredations, some of which were 

 begun 20 years ago. Sales of timber from the forests have aver- 

 aged three-quarters of a million dollars a year since this department 

 assumed control of them, and, at the same time, the condition of 

 standing timber has been greatly improved by silvicultural investi- 

 gation and experiments, and large areas where trees never grew 

 have been seeded and forested. 



