A NATIONAL PLAN FOE AMERICAN FORESTRY 521 



and consult with the Bureau of Fisheries to prevent unnecessary damage to 

 fish life and to emphasize such beneficial results as may occur under proper 

 management from such operations. 



The Bureau of Fisheries maintains experimental stations and hatcheries. In 

 cooperation with other Government, State, and local agencies, the Bureau 

 assists in the distribution of fish, the control of inimical or undesirable forms, 

 in research work and educational activities. This Bureau has responsibility 

 toward the maintenance of valuable fish life in waters in the public domain and 

 should be enabled to assign biologists and skilled fish culturists to the national- 

 forest areas to conduct and supervise stream and lake surveys and develop a 

 rational policy, in cooperation with States, of stocking such waters, to give 

 instruction to rangers and others having the direct responsibility of planting 

 fish and in general to further the execution of an orderly national program of 

 replacement. 



To further cooperation on fishery management in forest areas a 

 series of conferences between the Forest Service and the Bureau of 

 Fisheries culminated during the past year in a general agreement 

 regarding the responsibilities of the two Bureaus. It was agreed 

 that the Bureau of Fisheries recognize its responsibility in stocking 

 waters in the public domain with food and game fishes, particu- 

 larly in the national forests and parks. As a part of this responsibility 

 it was recognized that scientific surveys of forest waters are neces- 

 sary as a basis for drafting a rational program of fish planting. The 

 Bureau of Fisheries accepts responsibility for the production of food 

 and game fishes by artificial propagation through the feeding stage 

 up to the time of delivery of the fish for distribution. At this point 

 the Forest and Park Services receive and distribute the fish pro- 

 duced by the Bureau of Fisheries for planting in natural waters in 

 accordance with their predetermined plan of stocking. In this way 

 it is believed that maximum efficiency in stocking public waters will 

 be attained, for the Forest and Park Services are best prepared to 

 secure and coordinate cooperation in planting operations by indi- 

 viduals and sportsmen's organizations. 



It is understood that the various States should at this time be 

 responsible for the enactment and enforcement of laws relating to 

 the taking of fish and the screening of irrigation ditches; moreover, 

 they should cooperate in the artificial propagation of fish where 

 existing Federal services are inadequate, but should not undertake 

 the planting of fish in the public domain except in accordance with 

 the Bureau's stocking policy and with its permission. 



To carry out this plan the Bureau proposes the organization of a 

 fishery survey in each of the six national-forest areas of western 

 United States under the direction of a resident biologist in each area, 

 who shall conduct and supervise stream and lake surveys in waters 

 of the public domain and shall develop therefrom a rational policy 

 of stocking such waters with fish. In addition to the research units, 

 skilled fish culturists are to be detailed to each forest region to assist 

 in determining the needs for and organization of rearing and holding 

 ponds, to assist in the planting and distribution of fish from hatch- 

 eries, and to give instructions to rangers or others charged with the 

 responsibility for the planting of fish. 



It is obviously impossible to complete the survey work under such 

 a program in the 167 national forests and parks in the continental 

 United States in less than 5 years with even an adequate personnel, 

 and under the present circumstances with reduced appropriations 

 the program will be materially delayed. Nevertheless, a start has 



