476 JOURNAL OF FORESTRY 



rangers would naturally be the active local men on the job, advising 

 with the operators, assisting in the application of measures for forest 

 perpetuation, and reporting from time to time on the character of the 

 harvesting and the condition of the cut-over lands. A few regional 

 inspectors would doubtless be desirable, in order to unify and check 

 up the work of the district rangers. The regional foresters would be 

 the executive officers in charge, and in regions where National Forests 

 are located this office might well be combined with that of district 

 forester. 



Based on past experience in similar problems, it is estimated that a 

 force of from TOO to 800 men would be ample at the start, and that 

 a smaller number could probably swing the work. This does not mean 

 that 700 new Government officials would be necessary, for a part of 

 this force might be drawn from the existing personnel of the Forest 

 Service, and another substantial part might come from the various 

 States having trained forest forces. Remember that the Secretary 

 may deputize State forest officers to assist in the administration of 

 the Act and might, for example, make use of the entire forest force 

 of any State as a unit, provided the State consented to act. The total 

 number of new Federal officials, therefore, would be small. 



COSTS 



No Nezc Public Burden Is Involved 



The cost of administration, including overhead expense and such 

 scaling as may be necessary of wood cut in devastation, is estimated 

 at about $2,000,000 per annum, an amount which would be covered, 

 approximately, by the collection of the tax of five cents per thousand 

 board feet. Neither in this connection nor in the clause for co-oper- 

 ative work in fire protection are specific appropriations called for. 

 The amounts are omitted in order to conform to the new procedure 

 for appropriations in Congress. Definite sums will be written into 

 the bill at the proper time. 



PROTECTION AGAINST FIRE 



Reduction of Fire Hazards Due to Harvesting 



Measures to minimize the danger of fire when forest crops are 

 harvested should, of course, enter into the standards and regulations 

 established by the Secretary and regional foresters, and would be 

 similar to the various precautionary measures now enforced in timber 



