THE FORESTER. 187 



paper, both as to suitable woods and as to hydraulic power; and to 

 make these resources available to paper manufacturers under prac- 

 ticable terms in view of the transportation and other conditions 

 attending the extension of their industry mto the Western States. 

 The National Forests contain upward of 200 billion board feet of 

 timber suitable for the manirfacture of news print. Sales of pulp- 

 wood are now being made at a number of points as part supply for 

 established paper plants. Several large tracts of timber oi paper- 

 making species have been appraised and advertised for sale or 

 offered to the paper trade. .Transportation conditions, labor prob- 

 lems, and the large investments required for the installation of paper 

 plants have held back the development of such enterprises on the 

 National Forests, notwithstanduig the favorable timber and water- 

 power conditions which are to be found at many points. This de- 

 velopment, however, is bound to come, in view of the general paper 

 situation in the United States; and the Forest Service is preparing 

 for it. 



Owing to the handicaps imposed by the reduction of field personnel 

 in consequence of the war, timber surveys have been materially cur- 

 tailed since 1916. With the prospect of increased activity in sales 

 to lumber manufacturers and the need to be ready for the demand 

 for timber likely to arise from paper manufacturers, it is important 

 to expand again the timber-survey work. This work is fundamental 

 to plans for wise management. During the year 448,547 acres were 

 cruised and mapped by intensive methods and are now ready for 

 timber sales, while 37,551 acres were covered by extensive recon- 

 naissance. 



The Agricultural appropriation act for the fiscal year contained 

 a special provision for granting National Forest timber required for 

 war purposes to any department, board, or committee of the Fed- 

 eral Government. Owing to the late passage of this measure, but 

 one permit was granted under it to the War Department. This 

 covered 6,000,000 feet, board measure, of which approximately 

 3,750,000 board feet were cut. Permits aggregating 5,758,000 

 board feet were issued to the Alaskan Engineering Commission under 

 the act of March 4, 1915. This commission has cut to date approxi- 

 mately 30,000,000 board feet, under permit from the National 

 Forests in Alaska. 



Details regarding the cut and sale of timber are embodied in the 

 following tables: 



