WORK OF THE FOREST SERVICE 305 



forests and of the country generally will receive greater attention in 

 the future. The number of bills introduced in Congress to establish 

 "game sanctuaries" indicates a growing public interest in the 

 matter.^ 



RECREATIONAL USES OF THE FORESTS 



The development of the recreational uses of the national forests is 

 also receiving increasing attention. To an increasing extent the for- 

 ests are being used as playgrounds for the people of the country. It 

 is said that nearly seven hundred thousand people visited the national 

 forests of Colorado in the summer of 1916, left the sweltering heat 

 of the prairie states and the states farther east, for a vacation in 

 the mountains. The Forest Service is trying in various ways to in- 

 crease the usefulness of the national forests to those seeking 

 recreation. 



In 1915, a law was passed authorizing the Secretary of Agriculture 

 to grant permits for summer homes, hotels, and for similar uses in 

 the national forests for periods of not more than thirty years ; and 

 under this law a great many permits have already been issued. 

 Through the issue of permits in this way, the Forest Service is able 

 to prevent any class of individuals from permanently appropriating 

 the most beautiful lake and mountain sites. Wholesale appropriation 

 of beautiful mountain regions, as for instance in the case of the 

 Dunraven estate in what is now Estes Park, is not possible in the 

 national forests.^ 



ASSISTANCE TO GRAZING INTERESTS 



The problems of grazing and of range management are still im- 

 portant. The ranges of the national forests cover about 100,000,000 

 acres of land, on which a total of about 15,000,000 animals, including 

 5,000,000 young, are grazed each year. In addition, there are several 



^Reports, Sec. of Agr., 1909, 396; 1910, 404; 1911, 398; 1912, 525; 1916, 172: 

 Report, Forester, 1914, 23: Report, Sec. of Int., 1916, Vol. I, 237: Report, Chief of 

 the Bureau of Biological Survey, 1917: Proceedings, National Park Conference, 

 Washington, 1917, 187, 200, 206: Am. Forestry, Mar., 1917, 139: Stat. 33, 614; 34, 

 536, 607; 35, 102, 1104, 1137; 36, 1258; 37, 292,' 459, 847; 38, 49, 434, 648, 862, 1105; 

 39, 233, 467, 476: H. R. 6881, 11712, 14972, 17381; S. 3044, 4418; 64 Cong. 1 sess. 



^Stat. 38, 1101: Forest Service, Use Book, 1915, 136: Report, Sec. of Agr., 1916, 

 176: Am. Forestry, Mar., 1917, 133; June, 1917, 358: Outing, May, 1916, 172. 



