188 journal oi^ forestry 



Reorganization of the Office of Forest Investigations of the. 

 U. S. Forest Service 



The work of forest investigations of the U. S. Forest Service covers- 

 the whole field of forest conditions in the United States. The general 

 scheme of organization for the Service has required that the large 

 National Forest areas in the West should be organized and administered 

 as units with considerable latitude of action. Heretofore the forest 

 investigations carried on in connection with the western National 

 Forests have been subject to direct supervision through the district 

 ofifices with indirect technical control by the central office in Washing- 

 ton. The investigative men in the districts have been working under 

 conditions of isolation and have often felt the lack of the increased 

 facilities and sympathy with their problems which would result from 

 closer and more frequent contact with other men engaged in similar 

 lines of work. In order to remedy at least partially this situa<^ion, the 

 men engaged in fundamental studies, including those stationed in the 

 West, have been transferred to the direct supervision of the Office of 

 Forest Investigations in Washington. The plan is that they will have 

 comparatively frequent details to Washington and possibly also in 

 special lines of work to various other regions. 



Another phase of the reorganization has to do with the application 

 of the results of investigations in the practical solution of the adminis- 

 trative needs of the Service. The men on fundamental studies have 

 been relieved of the direct responsibility for applying their results. 

 On the other hand, in order to more effectively secure the prompt appli- 

 cation of valuable findings, an investigative officer has been assigned 

 or designated in each district office who will be definitely responsible 

 for the application of the results of forest investigations to adminis- 

 trative practice. He is expected to be thoroughly familiar with all 

 the research work that is being done on district problems and to de- 

 termine and demonstrate to the various administrative officers, the ap- 

 plication and value of these results. At the same time he is expected to 

 carry on investigations of a less intensive character to secure for 

 immediate use tentative answers to some of the pressing adminis- 

 trative questions. 



While the new scheme is admittedly in the nature of an experiment, 

 the Forest Service feels that it is a distinct step in advance for the 

 benefit both of the men engaged in fundamental studies and for those 

 on administrative work who need reliable solutions to their problems.. 



