Preparing IV or king Plans. 151 



Forest Service Policy. 



The timber sale policy of the Forest Service, as expressed in 

 Amendment 163 (of March 21, 1913) to the Timber Sale Section 

 of the National Forest Manual (issued December i, 191 1) is as 

 follows : 



"Sales of small amounts of timber are preferred and will be 

 encouraged by every means possible. In no instance will more 

 timber be sold under one contract than is necessary to cover the 

 cost of improvements which must be constructed for its exploita- 

 tion and to permit logging and manufacture under practical and 

 economical conditions. Timber which can be practically logged 

 under Classes A, B, and C sales will be reserved for operations 

 of this size as far as such demand exists. Class D sales, where 

 larger investments must be made and more timber handled, will 

 ordinarily not exceed 75,000,000 feet in amount and five years 

 for removal. 



"Where the inaccessibility of the timber requires very large in- 

 vestments for railroads or other improvements, enough stump- 

 age will be contracted to justify the outlay for these purposes and 

 the size of operation necessary to make the enterprise feasible. 

 The cutting period in such instances will be determined by prac- 

 tical logging and manufacturing conditions. 



"There are no fixed limits as to the size and period of sales of 

 inaccessible timber requiring expensive improvements. The prin- 

 ciple of contracting enough to justify the outlay will govern in 

 each instance. It will, however, seldom if ever be necessary to 

 exceed 1,000,000,000 feet, or a cutting period of 25 years. 



"In lieu of the sale of a large amount of timber, the contract 

 may specify that certain areas, in addition 

 Reserved areas. to the stumpage purchased, will be reserved 



from sale until the termination of the con- 

 tract and then offered for competitive bids. A reserve available 

 to the improvements of the purchaser is thus held, while the terms 

 under which it may be bought are left for future adjustment and 

 will necessarily be subject to advertisement and competition in 

 the regular manner. Such agreements to offer additional blocks 

 for sale will be made only in accordance with the plan of manage- 

 ment adopted for the unit or watershed concerned. This method 

 will be used where acceptable to purchasers. It is preferred to 

 the sale of larger bodies in the initial contract. 

 In the management of watersheds or other units, the construc- 

 tion of new and competing mills will be en- 

 S table industries cou raged to such a number as can operate 



encouraged. for a reasonable period in accordance with 



prevailing standards in the industry. Pri- 

 vate timber available for such plants, both as to situation and 



