OUR NATIONAL FORESTS 117 



most intensive scientific methods will be necessary on the Na- 

 tional Forests, both to demonstrate by example the practica- 

 bility of forestry and to furnish their share of wood to the 

 nation. 



In addition to providing timber perpetually for the nation, 

 another important object of the National Forests is to aid the 

 localities about them in prosperity and in permanence. This 

 purpose is being accomplished. Instead of temporary towns 

 constructed about a big mill that will in a few years cut out 

 the timber and be gone, towns supported by the woods indus- 

 try of the National Forests are on a permanent basis. These 

 towns have assurance that provisions are being made for future 

 crops of timber and that they can reasonably count on contin- 

 uous activity. They know that timber will be always available. 

 They know that in grazing their herds, it is not permitted to 

 overstock the range and destroy the value of these Government 

 grasslands. All these things are being carried out with an eye 

 to the sound rational development of every resource within the 

 forest and to its future permanency. With this feeling of 

 permanence come municipal pride, better schools, thrift and 

 unmistakably higher standards of living. 



Timber, of course, is the main resource of the forests. This 

 timber, when ripe, is for sale to the highest bidder and when 

 sold is cut and removed in such a way that the woodlands are 

 left as safe as possible from fire and in a condition favorable 

 for the natural reproduction of new crops. Usually every tree 

 that may be cut down is blazed by foresters with long experi- 

 ence in that particular type of timber. The logs are later meas- 

 ured by forest officers as a basis for payment and sold at so 



