PROGRESS OF THE U. S. FOREST SERVICE. 



AS REFLECTED IN THE FORESTER'S 



REPORTS FOR 191 1, 1912, 1913. 



By Alexander J. Jaenicke. 



Any one familiar with these annual reports will realize that 

 it is impossible to adequately give an idea of their contents in a 

 brief abstract such as this purports to be. An annual report con- 

 cerns itself with the activity and the plans of the U. S. Forest 

 Service, and this is discussed in an exceedingly concise and not 

 at all detailed manner. An abstract, therefore, must necessarily 

 omit much that is exceedingly important; in fact, nothing but a 

 general idea of the contents can be given. 



The report for 191 1 is really Mr. Graves' first report, the 1910 

 Report being the last one of Mr. Pinchot's' administration. In 

 abstracting ]\Ir. Graves' reports for 191 1, 1912 and 1913, it was 

 thought best to consider them together rather than separately in 

 order that the growth and progress of the Forest Service during 

 these three years could more easily be traced. In the following 

 pages, when the year 191 1 is mentioned, this will mean the fiscal 

 year 191 1, or the period between July i, 1910 and June 30, 191 1 

 and similarly for the other years. All three reports are much 

 alike as' regards the order in which the various topics are taken 

 up, and this sequence will be followed in this brief, the main topics 

 being indicated by headings. 



Classification of Expenditures and Receipts. 



For the years 191 1, 1912 and 1913, the annual expenditures of 

 the Forest Service have been between $5,000,000 and $6,000,000. 

 Thus these years have seen no marked rise in the annual appro- 

 priations. Under the heading of salaries and general expenses, 

 over 90% of the annual appropriation was used each year, less 

 than 10% being used for the permanent improvement of the 

 National Forests. Consequently the administration and protec- 

 tion of the National Forests has cost an annual average of 2-| 

 cents per acre while the improvements have amounted to less than 

 2^ mills' per annum. 



The receipts of the Forest Service can be classified under the 

 following three heads: 



