FOREST EXTENSION. 15 



SELECTION OF AREAS. 



Until more exact knowledge has been acquired and methods of 

 greater certainty developed, reforestation work on 

 sitBsflrst favorable an y considerable scale should be restricted to areas 

 where natural conditions are most favorable to success. 

 The aim will be to develop successful methods on such areas, together 

 with much more exact information as to their possibilities and limita- 

 tions, and then gradually extend the work to less favorable sites. 

 Within the restrictions stated above, watersheds used for 

 watersheds municipal supply or irrigation should be given first 



consideration. 



Reforestation for the primary purpose of producing timber may be 



conducted, however, where conditions are peculiarly 



^ Timber produc- favorable to cheap establishment and rapid growth, 



where the object lesson would be of special value, or 



where there is urgent local need for an additional supply of forest 



products. 



As far as possible immediate provision should be made for reforest- 

 ing recent burns where natural reproduction can not 

 be expected to take place, especially on sites nat- 

 urally adapted to dense and valuable forest growth. 



ORGANIZATION AND SCALE. 



The reforestation work in each district and on each National Forest 

 where it is undertaken should, as far as practicable, 

 be concentrated upon a comparatively few projects 

 with reference to most favorable areas for success, minimum cost per 

 unit, and best'possible supervision. Small nurseries and small seed- 

 ing or planting projects whose primary purpose is to inform and 

 interest Forest officers may be conducted, where no additional cost to 

 the Service is involved. Aside from such projects and from work of 

 a purely experimental character, reforestation should in the main 

 be centered upon comparatively large, carefully planned, and well- 

 supervised pieces of work on the most favorable sites. 



The coUection of as large quantities of seed of desirable species as 



seed collection can ^ e ^^ a i ne< ^ a ^ a reasonable cost will be part of 

 the regular summer and fall work in each district. 

 This work should be concentrated upon areas where seed of the 

 species (and from the locality) desired for the sites on which reforesta- 

 tion is to be conducted can be gathered at the lowest cost. Extensive 

 collection should not be attempted in seasons when the cost of the 

 seed will, on account of the poor crop, be excessive, or when seed of 

 the species desired for concentrated work on the more favorable 

 sites can not be obtained. 



In seasons when large seed crops of desirable species are produced 

 and cheap coUection on an extended scale is possible it will often be 

 desirable to concentrate largely upon this work and collect sufficient 

 seed for two or more years ahead. The slight loss in the fertility 

 of stored seed will be more than offset by the reduced cost of collection 

 under such conditions. 



