NEWS AND PERSONAL NOTES 



A meeting of the Forest Supervisors of District 1 will take place 

 in Missoula the week beginning January 29. This is the first meeting 

 which has taken place in three years. The program, very much in 

 detail, has been prepared and it is expected to secure some very impor- 

 tant results from the meeting. 



Another distinct development of Forest Service work in District 1 

 is the decrease in the work handled by the Office of Lands. The classi- 

 fication of the Forests showing the agricultural and permanent forest 

 land is rapidly being completed. The examination and settlement of 

 the homestead claiiTi situation is almost at an end. With the classifica- 

 tion of agricultural lands completed, the work of handling applications 

 for land under the Act of June 11, 1906, is very much decreased. This 

 represents very decided progress, since with the questions of title and 

 classification settled, the way for more rapid progress in forest manage- 

 ment is open. 



The Ranger School at the University of Montana reports an 

 attendance of 28 men. This is the short course for a period of about 

 three months during the winter. These men consist in part of rangers 

 employed in the Forest Service, forest guards, employes of lumber 

 companies, and woodsmen desiring additional training. The regular 

 Forest School has an enrollment of 62 men. A new course for the 

 ranger school has been added this season in grazing, embracing both 

 range reconnaissance and range management. In addition, and rather 

 supplementary to the ranger school at the University, the Forest Service 

 will conduct a ranger conference for a period of two months at the 

 Savenac Nursery. Twelve rangers will be in attendance, instructed by 

 part of the force of the district office. 



Early in the season of 1915, a number of the lookout points in 

 District 1 were equipped with heliograph instruments at places where 

 there was no hope of getting telephone connection in the near future. 

 Nineteen complete sets were installed on as many lookout points. The 

 first season very poor success was obtained, due to the lack of training 

 of the operators and in part to a lack of interest. During the past 



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