INTRODUCTION xxvii 



growing seasons too short for the production of 

 crops such as wheat, corn, oats, potatoes, etc. 

 Therefore, practically all of this land is what the 

 forester calls "absolute forest land," that is, it is 

 better adapted for growing timber crops than any 

 other. Another important fact about the National 

 Forests is that they are located, for the most part, 

 on steep mountain slopes and at the headwaters of 

 mountain streams. This makes them of vital im- 

 portance in regulating the stream flow of our west- 

 ern rivers. In fact it is no exaggeration to say that 

 all our large western rivers have their origin on 

 National Forest land. 



WHY THE NATIONAL FORESTS WERE CREATED 



Aside from the great economic reasons why a 

 nation should possess National Forests, there are 

 local reasons which pertain to the welfare of the 

 home builder and home industries which are often 

 of paramount importance. The timber, the water, 

 the pasture, the minerals, and all other resources on 

 the government lands in the West are for the use 

 of all the people. And only by a well-regulated 

 policy of sale or rental can these resources be dis- 



