News and Notes 159 



increased 50 per cent. Practically the same increase has been 

 secured in Texas under its leasing system. There should be a 

 classification of the remaining lands at the earliest possible date 

 to determine their character and to secure information upon 

 which to base plans for their future improvement and use and 

 for the distribution among settlers of those portions upon which 

 it is possible to establish homes." 



"Of the existing 1,800,000 water horsepower in the Western 

 States, 50 per cent is in plants constructed in whole or in part 

 on the forests and operated under permit from the department. 

 Plants under construction will develop about 200,000 additional 

 horsepower, while over 1,000,000 more is under permit for future 

 construction. The chief obstacle to further immediate water- 

 power expansion is the lack of market, for plants in operation 

 in the West now have a surplus of power of which they can 

 not dispose." 



There is also a discussion on mining in the National Forests, 

 and their use as recreation grounds, and on the return of agricul- 

 tural lands to settlement. "During the last five years about 14,- 

 000,000 acres have thus been released. In addition, individual 

 tracts are classified and opened to entry upon application of home 

 seekers. Since the work was begun more than 1,900,000 acres 

 have been made available for the benefit of 18,000 settlers." 



Reference is made to the purchase of forest areas in the East. 

 "An appropriation of $11,000,000 was made for these purchases, 

 to be expended during the fiscal years 1910 to 1915. The funds 

 made available under the first appropriation are nearly exhausted. 

 In its report to the Congress for the fiscal year 1914 the National 

 Forest Reservation Commission recommended that purchases be 

 continued until about 6,000,000 acres shall have been obtained 

 and that the Congress authorize appropriations through another 

 five-year period at the rate of $2,000,000 a year." 



The two Alaska National Forests are more specifically re- 

 ferred to. "The Tongass comprises approximately 15,000,000 

 acres in southeastern Alaska, while the Chugach, covering the 

 timbered area about Prince William Sound and thence westward 

 to Cook Inlet, contains about 5,500,000 acres. Most of the tim- 

 ber on them is of the coast type, Sitka spruce, hemlock, and cedar 

 being the predominant species. On the Tongass single spruce 

 trees not uncommonly reach a diameter of 6 feet, a height of 200 



