GENERAL ADMINISTRATION AND PROTECTION. 55 



her and forage, of special uses and settlement, and for the improvement and 

 protection of the Forests. Such maps will be known as working-plan base 

 ntiijis. For these a scale of 4 inches to the mile, or even a larger one, may be 

 advisable. On the other hand, a smaller scale may be adopted on maps of large 

 projects, such as fire and water-supply protection plans. The topography will 

 be shown by means of contour lines, intervals between which will be 20, 50, or 

 100 feet. 



Field Surveys. 



The field data necessary for the preparation of these maps will be taken from 

 the Geological Survey sheets or the Atlas folios when such maps are sufficiently 

 accurate and from all field surveys by Forest officers. 



Such surveys will include examination of claims, and of applications for set- 

 tlement, special uses and timber sales, and reconnaissance surveys for all pur- 

 poses when the taking of topographic data is necessary. 



In order to insure the necessary degree of accuracy and completeness of the 

 data obtained by such surveys, the District Forester will prepare instructions 

 for standard methods of survey which must be followed by field officers unless 

 specifically exempted by the District Forester Such instructions will conform 

 to the " Instructions for Making Forest Surveys and Maps " and will also con- 

 tain instructions governing the establishment of horizontal and vertical control 

 (if the standard administrative map has been prepared), the methods of sur- 

 vey, the topographic data to be collected, and its compilation. In the case of 

 large reconnaissance projects on Forests for which the standard administra- 

 tive map has not been prepared, or wherever there is any doubt as to the con- 

 trol, specific instructions in regard to the control will first be obtained from 

 the Forester. Data resulting from field surveys should not be allowed to ac- 

 cumulate in the files, but should be posted as soon as collected on an original 

 draft of the working-plan map. The field papers containing the data may then 

 be marked " Posted " and filed. 



Reconnaissance Surveys. 



Great care must be exercised by the District Forester in approving projects 

 for reconnaissance surveys of considerable areas in order that areas in need 

 of such surveys are taken up in the order of their importance. The following 

 order will be observed unless some special conditions prevent : 



(1) Large areas which are of value for agriculture and for which applica- 

 tions under the act of June 11 have been received (Land Classification). 



(2) Immediately prospective timber sale areas (Timber Reconnaissance). 



(3) Areas which have a high fire liability and hazard and are without ade- 

 quate maps (Protection Survey). 



(4) Areas subject to intensive use of forage (Grazing Reconnaissance). 



(5) Timber reconnaissance for the purpose of regulating the cut. 



A record of the areas covered by standard surveys should be kept by the 

 supervisor on an administrative map. Annually the supervisor should forward 

 to the District Forester a map of his Forest, showing the areas so covered to 

 date, with a statement of the total area and that covered during the previous 

 year. 



Special Maps. 



Special maps are issued for the use of Forest officers, to illustrate bulletins 

 or circulars of the Forest Service, or as special publications for the dissemina- 

 tion of information which can be best expressed graphically. Such maps are 

 not for general distribution, though some are sold, and they may even be 

 given away under certain circumstances. A general map of a National Forest 

 may be given to a user when it. is necessary or convenient to show thereon the 

 lands covered by a transaction. 



General maps of the United States, showing the National Forests and related 

 projects and data, unmounted, are sold by the Superintendent of Documents, 

 Washington, D. C., at 50 cents each. A limited number of copies are retained 

 in the Forest Service and furnished in some cases to State officers, State insti- 

 tutions, and libraries, where they will be accessible to the general public. 



General continental or regional maps, showing natural forest areas or the 

 distribution of tree species are furnished to State institutions and to some 

 first-class libraries. When more than one copy of a general map is requested, 

 as in the case of forest schools or agricultural colleges, a charge will be made 

 for each extra copy. 



