THE FOREST SERVICE 



Outline of Work Now Being Carried on by Federal 

 Government in Various Sections of the Country 



Regulation of Forest Reserves 



Mr. Gifford Pinchot, Forester, U. 

 S. Department of Agriculture, has 

 completed a draft of regulations and 

 instructions for the use of forest re- 

 serves, which has been approved by 

 the Secretary of Agriculture. The 

 regulations recently issued went into 

 effect July i, 1905. 



The first paragraph declares: 



"Forest reserves are for the purpose 

 of preserving a perpetual supply of 

 timber for home industries, prevent- 

 ing destruction of the forest cover 

 which regulates the flow of streams, 

 and protecting local residents from 

 unfair competition in the use of forest 

 and range. They are patrolled and 

 protected, at government expense, for 

 the benefit of the community and the 

 home builder." 



Another section of the regulations 

 announces that : 



"The administration of forest re- 

 serves is not for the benefit of the 

 government, but of the people. The 

 revenue derived from them goes, not 

 into the general fund of the United 

 States, but toward maintaining upon 

 the reserves a force of men organized 

 to serve the public interests. This 

 force has three chief duties : To pro- 

 tect the reserves against fire, to assist 

 the people in their use, and to see that 

 they are properly used. 



"Forest officers, therefore, are ser- 

 vants of the people. They must obey 

 instructions and enforce the regula- 

 tions for the protection of the reserves 

 without fear or favor, and must not 

 allow personal or temporary interests 

 to weigh against the permanent good 

 of the reserves ; but it is no less their 

 duty to encourage and assist legiti- 

 mate enterprises. They must answer 

 all inquiries concerning reserve meth- 

 ods fully and cheerfully, and be at 



least as prompt and courteous in the 

 conduct of reserve business as they 

 would in private business. 



"They must make every effort to 

 prevent the misunderstanding and vio- 

 lation of reserve regulations by giving 

 information fully and freely. The ob- 

 ject should be to prevent mistakes 

 rather than to have to punish those 

 who make them. Information should 

 be given tactfully, by advice, and not 

 by offensive warnings. 



"Forest officers will be required to 

 be thoroughly familiar with every part 

 of this book, and to instruct the public 

 and assist in making application for 

 the use of the reserves." 



Special Privileges in Forest 

 Reserves 



The new regulations for the use of 

 forest reserves, noted above, contain 

 the following rules governing special 

 occupancy privileges : 



Hotels, stores, mills, summer resi- 

 dences, and similar establishments will 

 be allowed upon reserve lands wher- 

 ever the demand is legitimate and con- 

 sistent and convenient with the best 

 interests of the reserve. 



The use of tracts not to exceed two 

 acres for schools and one acre for 

 churches is specifically provided for 

 by law, subject to regulation by the 

 department and any other disposition 

 of the land by the government. Tim- 

 ber for the construction of church and 

 school buildings may be secured under 

 the free use and sales regulations. 



Application for special occupancy 

 privilege must be made to the super- 

 visor, who will transmit it, with report 

 and recommendation, to the forester. 

 The forester may approve the applica- 

 tion, with such restrictions as to area, 

 time, terms, and surety as he may 

 deem best, and may extend or renew 

 any permit in his discretion. 



