OTHER RESOURCES 49 



purposes. The timber, water, pasture, and other re- 

 sources are for the use of the people, and the min- 

 erals are open to exploitation just as on the unre- 

 served public land." 



Claims for ownership of lands within national for- 

 ests may be initiated under the mining laws, the coal 

 land laws, and the forest homestead act. Prospect- 

 ing is not interfered with in any way. Timber may 

 be used free of charge by bona fide miners and home- 

 steaders who may not reasonably be required to pur- 

 chase and who have not on their own claims a suf- 

 ficient or accessible supply. Thus, in addition to 

 the general uses of the forests for timber, stock 

 range, water power, summer-recreation resorts, the 

 natural resources of the national forests wait on in- 

 dividual enterprise for development and will in com- 

 ing years furnish homes and industries for a large 

 mountain population. 



Toward the realization of all these great public 

 services from her forested area, California is advanc- 

 ing commendably. For administration of national 

 interests and affairs, California is constituted District 

 5 of the United States Forest Service with offices in 

 San Francisco whence proceed the transactions out- 

 lined above, through officials resident in the several 

 forests. 



California began legislative enactment and appro- 

 priation to promote forestry about forty years ago 

 and has proceeded somewhat irregularly and inter- 

 mittently, but on the whole progressively, since that 

 date. The existing phase of State policy consists of 



