Some 400,000 was spent by the forest service during 

 the year for permanent improvements on the national forests 

 to make them accessible and to insure their protection from 

 fire. These improvements include 270 miles of new road, 

 ,153 miles of trail, 3063 miles of telephone line, 775 

 miles of fire line, and 106 structures, besides bridges, 

 corrals, fences, and cabins. In addition, 642 miles of road 

 7/ere built for the public by the use of 10 per cent cf the 

 national forest receipts, as authorized by congress. 



Under another law, 25 per cent of the national forest 

 receipts for the year, - amounting to $586,593.39, - were ;. i 

 over to the various states in which the forests lie, for 

 the benefit of county schools and roads. 



Since 1909, when systematic classification of national 

 forest lands was begun, more than 10,000,000 SXK acres have 

 been eliminated. Scattered interior tracts which it is not 

 practical to eliminate are opened to settlement through 

 listing, which allows them to be taken up under the forest 

 homestead lav;. Anyone may apply to have land within a for- 

 est examined to determine whether it is best suited for agri- 

 culture, and if found so it is opened to settlement under 

 this law. During the year 2,690 tracts, totaling 282,483 

 acres, applied for by individuals were opened for entry. By 

 elimination and listing, the percentage of unpatented agri- 

 cultural land within the national forests, never large, has 

 been reduced to a very small amount. 



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