246 THE THEORY AND PRACTICE OF WORKING PLANS 



working plans must be complete, every possible effort will be 

 made to eliminate unnecessary discussion and to put them in 

 concise form. All detailed data relating to climate, geology, 

 soil, growth studies, silvical notes, etc., should be placed in the 

 appendix of the working plan, and everything in the plan 

 subordinated to the actual scheme of management for the 

 forest. 



Working plans will be approved by the forester. 



The general ground to be covered by working plans is as 

 follows : 



Under " General Administration " the topics listed for pre- 

 liminary plans should be discussed with such further detail as 

 more intensive study makes possible. 



Under " Silvicultural management " the topics listed for pre- 

 liminary plans shouM be developed with much greater accu- 

 racy and in much greater detail. 



To secure uniform data from the national forests in each 

 district, the district forester will decide upon standard field 

 methods. Standardization will include: 



1. Methods of making estimates under specified conditions 

 to secure results of uniform accuracy. 



2. The unit for recording estimates in both surveyed and 

 unsurveyed ground. 



3. The minimum sizes to which timber will be estimated and 

 a method of classifying reproduction and young timber below 

 this minimum. 



4. A scale for field and base maps and the conditions under 

 which contour or hachure maps will be made. 



5. The form and character of notes on silvicultural ques- 

 tions, forest descriptions, etc. 



6. The principles upon which the silvicultural system, the 

 rotation, the period for which management will be planned in 

 detail, etc. 



In each district, also, to insure reasonable uniformity under 

 similar conditions, a careful study will be made of the methods 

 of determining the limitation of annual cut under each silvi- 



