[902, 



FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION. 



191 



ADMINISTRATION OF U. S. FOREST RESERVES. 



By Filibert Roth, 



Chief of Division R, General Land Office. 

 PART I. 



THOUGH the first federal forest 

 reserves were created as early as 

 March, 1891, there were no laws or ap- 

 propriations made for their care until 

 June, 1897. -^t this time twenty-nine 

 reserves were in existence, with a total 

 area of nearly 26,000,000 acres. The 

 act of June 4, 1897, provided for an ad- 

 ministration, but failed to supply the 

 funds, and only $18,000 were available 

 for the care of reserves for 1 897-1 898. 



During this first year nothing more 

 than a few field agents could therefore 

 be employed, and the care of the re- 

 ser\'es was practically the same as be- 

 fore. Nevertheless, the administration 

 of the reserves, intrusted to the General 

 Land Office in its special-service divis- 

 ion, was organized, and a set of rules 

 and regulations was prepared and pub- 

 lished June 30, 1897, which are in force 

 to-day and have proven quite satisfac- 

 tory. 



As soon as funds were provided, a 

 field force was organized in the form 

 now in existence. After nearly three 

 years of experience and after the busi- 

 ness of the reserves had become rather 

 extensive, a separate division was cre- 

 ated (Division R) to assume charge of 

 the reserve work. When fully organ- 

 ized, this administrative bureau con- 

 sisted of several subdivisions, each at- 

 tending to a particular branch of the 

 service, such as appointment and dis- 

 tribution of the field force, sales of tim- 

 ber, ' ' free use ' ' of timber, special privi- 

 leges, such as rights of way of roads 

 and railways, establishment of mills, 

 hotels, etc.; grazing, lieu-land selec- 

 tions, and the creation of new reserves 

 and elimination of lands from reserves 

 already in existence. 



The field force, as organized in the be- 

 ginning, consisted of rangers or guards, 

 usually several to each reserve; one 



supervisor, in a few cases two, to each 

 reserve; superintendents having juris- 

 diction over all the reserves in the par- 

 ticular state or territory, and one i)i- 

 spedor to look after all reserves. Ac- 

 cording to this scheme, the ranger 

 reported to the supervisor, the super- 

 visor to the superintendent, and this offi- 

 cer to the central office at Washington. 



The rangers were paid $60 a month, 

 and each assigned to some particular 

 beat or district. They were required 

 to keep a horse and camp outfit, keep a 

 record of each day's work, and report 

 the same as a " report of daily service ' ' 

 at the end of each month. This report 

 was examined and approved by the su- 

 pervisor, transmitted to the superintend- 

 ent, re-examined and approved, and 

 then sent to the central office. The 

 same procedure was required for reports 

 other than service, such as statements 

 concerning sales of timber, free use of 

 timber, grazing, trespass, etc. 



The supervisor was manager of his 

 particular reserve, but all orders to him 

 and all reports from him naturally passed 

 through his superior, the superintend- 

 ent. In his powers he was (and is yet) 

 quite limited. He had no right to incur 

 expenses other than for travel and in 

 cases of emergency, such as forest fires. 



The superintendent acted as director, 

 originated and transmitted orders, trans- 

 mitted and approved reports and ac- 

 counts, and acted as local inspector, 

 examining personally conditions of the 

 reserves and the work performed. In 

 addition every superintendent was fre- 

 quently called upon to do duty in other 

 directions by making special examina- 

 tions of lands to be reserved or to be 

 eliminated from exi.sting reserv^es, ex- 

 amining into the status or bona fides of 

 agricultural claims, of mining claims, 

 etc. 



