HERMAN H. CHAPMAN 75 



obtained, to declare government lands set aside as forest 

 reserves. But it was not easy to bring about their proper 

 management, and to make them useful to the people. This 

 has been the work of Mr. Pinchot. The first task was to 

 formulate regulations permitting the cutting of timber 

 under restrictions, opening the reserves to legitimate min- 

 ing and stock grazing, and protecting them from fire and 

 trespass. The next forward step was the transfer of their 

 management from the Land office of the Interior Depart- 

 ment, to the Forest Service of the Department of Agricul- 

 ture, where they would come under the direct charge of for- 

 esters educated to understand both the objects of the re- 

 serves and the methods of accomplishing them. The third 

 and final stage, which is still in progress, was the education 

 of the people of the West to the necessity and significance of 

 government control and regulation of the use of the forests, 

 water, and grazing rights, for the benefit of all. The pol- 

 icy of the Forest Service has been clearly defined from the 

 start. The settler and home builder receives first consider- 

 ation, and this is most effectively accomplished by distrib- 

 uting grazing rights on the basis of residence rather than 

 influence. The title to water power is retained, for the 

 benefit of the public, and a strong fight is waged constantly 

 to prevent the passage of legislation tending to give these 

 rights in perpetuity to power companies. Timber is sold 

 to lumber companies, but the lumbermen on a National For- 

 est can no longer neglect the future of the stand. Before 

 any cutting is done, the needs of the forest are thoroughly 

 worked out, and the logger is then allowed to cut only such 

 trees as are marked, and must remove all merchantable 

 timber, fell defective trees, and use them if possible, and 

 take whatever measures to clear up the tops and rubbish 

 as are considered necessary by the forester. Settlers are 

 allowed free use of timber, under permit, for fuel and build- 

 ing, and in every way the forest areas are made to contrib- 

 ute as much as possible to the prosperity of the West. Not 



