American Forest Congress 387 



ascertained that under the regulations of the Depart- 

 ment all these privileges were still to be used, the only 

 conditions being that such privileges should be exer- 

 cised in a systematic manner, under the direction of 

 the forest officers and for the future betterment of the 

 conditions then existing. 



The use of the forest reserves granted to the public 

 is considered a privilege, not a right. It may be re- 

 fused in any case, but as a rule settlers, farmers, pros- 

 pectors and others who so desire may secure, free of 

 charge, all kinds of timber for domestic uses, such as 

 fire-wood, poles and logs, and if really needed, matured 

 green timber. Applicants are not allowed to cut tim- 

 ber indiscriminately or wastefully, but can cut only 

 such as the proper officer deems suitable for the pur- 

 pose without injury to the reserve, and they are also 

 required to utilize all the timber that can be used for 

 any domestic purpose and to pile the brush resulting 

 from the cutting in such a manner that it may be 

 burned without injury to the surrounding forest. If 

 firewood is desired, applicants are required to utilize 

 any tops and limbs which may have been left from 

 former cuttings ; if building logs are desired, they must 

 if possible utilize fire killed timber, or that which has 

 become infected by insects or other destructive agents. 

 If an applicant requires green timber, he is assigned 

 to a locality where it has matured and is allowed to cut 

 only the trees above a certain size which must be se- 

 lected and marked by a forest reserve officer. A suffi- 

 cient number of seed trees are always retained for the 

 purpose of insuring a new growth. Corporations or 

 persons desiring to obtain timber from forest reserves 

 for commercial use are required to purchase the same, 

 and in every case they are required to utilize all the 

 timber, either for lumber, firewood, or other purpose 



