THE FORESTS OF ALASKA 



35 



It is the policy and prac- 

 tice to encourage agricul- 

 tural settlement in the two 

 Forests wherever suitable 

 farm lands exist. The new- 

 railroad has caused a stim- 

 ulus to agricultural settle- 

 ment on areas in reasonable 

 reach of it. More than one 

 hundred settlers will be 

 provided for on the Chu- 

 gach Forest during the cur- 

 rent year. On the Tongass 

 Forest settlement is not 

 taking place so rapidly but 

 the number of new home- 

 steads established is in- 

 creasing each year. A fac- 

 tor of encouragement to the 

 settler in the Forests is that 

 where the land is unsur- 

 veyed, the final survey on 

 the National Forest pre- 

 liminary to issuance of pat- 

 ent is made by the Forest 

 Service without cost to the 

 settler, while on the public 

 domain the settler has to 

 pay the cost. This advan- 

 tage is greatly appreciated 

 by the forest homesteaders. 



MINING AND WATER POWER 

 DEVELOPMENT 



The National Forests are 

 open to prospecting and to 

 the location of mines, just 

 as is the public domain. 

 The examination of the 

 mining claim before issu- 

 ance of patent is made by 

 mineral examiners, usually 

 by the mineral examiner of 

 the General Land Office, 

 who also examines claims 



A TYPICAL HEMLOCK STAND IN THE CHUGACH NATIONAL 

 FOREST 



The Chugach National Forest comprises over five million acres, cover- 

 ing the bulk of the coast forests centering about Prince William 

 Sound and including also a portion of the interior type of forest on 

 Cook Inlet. The principal species in the coast type are Sitka spruce 

 and hemlock. While the timber is not as heavy as in the Tongass 

 National Forest, there is nevertheless a large yield which will be of 

 great importance in the development of that portion of Alaska. The 

 spruce and hemlock forest frequently runs over 50,000 feet to the 

 acre, and very large areas carry from between twenty to thirty thousand 

 feet, with individual trees averaging from 1,000 to 2,500 board feet 

 per tree. Individual specimens of spruce occur with a diameter of 

 six feet and a height of one hundred and fifty feet. 



possible use of power in 

 connection with grinding 

 wood for pulp. One large 

 power site is now being 

 considered by American in- 

 terests with a view to pos- 

 sible use ia manufacturing 

 nitrates. Even under the 

 present authority, there- 

 fore, water power is being 

 developed ; but such devel- 

 opment would be hastened 

 if it were possible to grant 

 permits for 50-year per- 

 iods, irrevocable except for 

 breach of conditions set 

 forth in the permits. 



The Forest Service in co- 

 operation with the Geologi- 

 cal Survey has established 

 measuring gauges on vari- 

 ous streams in order to se- 

 cure data regarding the 

 flow, and thus determine 

 more definitely the power 

 possibilities where indus- 

 tries may be started. 



SPECIAL USES FOR LAND 



In the development of 

 the two National Forests 

 there is a great variety of 

 special uses of land that do 

 not fall under the head of 

 agriculture, mining, tim- 

 ber development, or water 

 power. Among the most 

 important in southern Alas- 

 ka is the use of sites for 

 canneries, salteries, and 

 other stations required in 

 connection with the fishing 

 industries. There are on 

 the two National Forests 

 over 7o canneries and simi- 



on the public domain. The existance pf-jfhe Forest in no lar establishments handling fish products, that are occupy- 

 way interferes with the acquisition of a n*iae if trie min- ing land under permit or lease. 



ing laws are complied with. The Forest Service en- 

 deavors to aid mining through meeting the needs for 

 timber, granting the use of land for power development, 

 and, as fast as funds are available, through constructing 

 fails and roads to open up heretofore inaccessible areas. 

 At present the chief demand for water power is in 

 connection with mining. These demands are being met 

 and permits are issued for the use of Government lands 

 for power development. Water power is abundant in 

 Alaska and there are many opportunities in the two 

 National Forests for the use of water power for indus- 

 trial purposes. Mention has already been made of the 



The law gives authority to lease up to 5 acres of land 

 for purposes of this kind for periods of not to exceed 

 30 years. A larger area may be used, however, under a 

 form of terminable permit. Ample space is thus pro- 

 vided the fishery establishments and there has been no 

 difficulty in meeting their practical needs. 



The special uses of National Forest land have thus 

 been encouraged in every way possible. In many 

 instances, however, considerable money is invested in 

 manufacturing plants, stores, and other buildings and 

 improvements, and the investors would prefer to be able 

 to secure title to the land rather than to have a lease or 



