Forestry on Indian Reservations. 475 



tration of Indian timberlands. On July 17, 1909, this agreement 

 was rendered ineffective through a determination by the new ad- 

 ministration in the Department of the Interior that the arrange- 

 ment was illegal. During the eighteen months that this agree- 

 ment has been in effect an attempt had been made by the Forest 

 Service to extend its administration so as to cover the work of 

 iire protection and timber utilization on Indian reservations. 

 Little had been accomplished when the action of the Interior De- 

 partment brought these efforts to an end. 



After the abrogation of the co-operative agreement the Indian 

 Office began to take steps toward increasing the efficiency of the 

 forestry work on Indian reservations through its own official 

 force. In February, 19 10, the writer entered the Indian Service 

 as Assistant Forester, and undertook the work of organizing the 

 forestry work both in the Office and in the field. It was under- 

 stood at the time that the writer would have charge of the Office 

 administration while the field work would be under the direct 

 supervision of a Forester in the Indian Service. There was con- 

 siderable delay in the execution of plans, but with some changes 

 the organization then outlined has been gradually put into ope- 

 ration during the past two years. 



This plan contemplates a forester, assistant forester and super- 

 intendent of logging, whose duties are those of general inspection 

 and supervision ; three men having similar duties within three 

 assigned portions of the United States which may be described as 

 comprising the Southwestern, the Northwestern and the Central 

 States; about a dozen or fifteen forest assistants and lumbermen 

 in charge of the forestry work on the more important timbered 

 reservations under the jurisdiction of the superintendents of the 

 reservations, and a force of about 112 forest guards and rangers 

 under the jurisdiction of the superintendents on about forty reser- 

 vations having large forest interests. In addition to this force 

 there is available on each reservation a protective and executive 

 force consisting of white farmers, stockmen and others, employed 

 in the Indian Service, and the local Indian police and line riders. 

 It is believed that the efficiency of this force for fire fighting is 

 very satisfactory. 



During the spring of 1910 the writer started the work of build- 

 ing telephone lines for forest protection purposes on Indian reser- 



