HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT 



191 



were withdrawn from entry or alienation. It became the duty of the 

 Secretary of the Interior to make regulations for the fulfilment of the 

 objectives set forth in creating these reserves. Provision had to be 

 made for the growing of continuous forest crops. Unrestricted graz- 

 ing had for many years seriously injured or destroyed the range. A 

 new organization was set up to combat or suppress forest fires. The 

 forestry work of the government was transferred to the Agricultural 

 Department in 1905 when the Bureau of Forestry became the Forest 

 Service. Later, in 1907, the title of forest reserves was changed to 

 National Forests to indicate that these resources are for the benefit 



FIG. 100. Portal at King's Hill Pass, Lewis and Clark National Forest, Montana. 



and use of the people of the country and are not to be stored up or 

 reserved for the future without thought of current use. 



Until 1908, all the forestry work of the Federal Government was 

 centralized in Washington. With the area of National Forests rapidly 

 increasing above 100 million acres, it became necessary to set up a 

 much larger organization and to decentralize the work out of Wash- 

 ington. Local administration was found to be much more effective and 

 in more intimate relationship with the local and regional require- 

 ments. 



As the National Forests were largely located in the West, local 

 districts now known as regions were established there; those in the 



