32 FOREST REGULATION 



I. EXAMINATION OF THE PROPERTY. 



In the United States the examination of larger forest properties 

 usually starts with rather scant information. Even where the land 

 has been honestly subdivided, the maps are inadequate, the informa- 

 tion such as the course of streams, etc., is restricted to points on the 

 section lines and all information with regard to the interior is 

 estimated, often merely assumption. Topography, soil, stand of 

 timber are practically unknown. In unsurveyed or only partly sur- 

 veyed districts these difficulties are materially increased. And yet 

 it may be desirable, even necessary to begin some kind of definite 

 administration at once. Whether this leads to real forestry or 

 merely to exploitation does not affect the case materially ; at least 

 a reasonable amount of information must be gathered, to enable the 

 owner to come to some decision, and to make it possible to do 

 business. 



In such cases it is not feasible, or even desirable, to wait for a 

 detailed examination. For even the satisfactory planning of this 

 detailed examination itself requires considerable information with 

 regard to survey, topography and general character of the forest. 

 For these reasons the examination of large forest properties in the 

 United States generally involves two distinct steps, the Preliminary 

 Survey, and the Detail Survey, though the line between these two 

 is not clearly defined. 



i. The Preliminary Survey. 



A kind of exploration work, justifies itself by gathering rapidly 

 and cheaply, enough information to decide on a policy and future 

 treatment of the property, or to enable the beginning of a Forest 

 Administration. Thus the preliminary surveys of some of the 

 National Forests, made by the United States Geological Survey 

 covered several hundred thousand acres of unsurveyed country in a 

 single summer. It seemed sufficient to learn the general topography, 

 the streams and their valleys, the amount or proportion of forest, 

 brush, burns, and \vaste lands in each valley ; the soil and drainage, 

 altitude, and changes of woods with this ; the accessibility, and a 

 few points regarding the use thus far made of these areas. 



