REPORT OF THE FORESTER. 



IT. S. Department of Agriculture, 



Bureau of Forestry, 

 Washington, D. O. , October 28, 1903. 

 Sir : I have the honor to transmit herewith a report of the work of 

 the Bureau of Forestry for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1903, 

 together with an outline of the plans for the work of the Bureau for 

 the current fiscal year. 



Respectfully, Gipford Pinchot, 



Forester. 

 Hon. Jambs Wilson, Secretary. 



INTRODTTCTION. 



No previous year has seen such progress in forestry as the last. 

 During this time public sentiment in favor of forestry became more 

 marked, and practical forest work in the woods was better in quality 

 and greater in amount than ever before. But great though the prog- 

 ress was in comparison with other years, actually it was small. The 

 saving of the forests by wise use is but little nearer than it was a year 

 ago, except for the wider spread of a knowledge of the nature and 

 objects of forestry. The means available are yet too feeble to make 

 much impression on the gigantic task of preventing the destruction 

 of the lumber industry, the fourth among the great industries of the 

 United States, and of using conservatively the forests which supply 

 wood and conserve water for the use of the nation. The interests 

 which these supplies serve and maintain are so vital to all our people 

 that it can not be in question whether they shall be preserved, but 

 only how best it can be done. The present provisions are wholly 

 insufBcient. 



The very rapid progress of the sentiment for forest preservation 

 during the last year has been nowhere more conspicuous than in the 

 Western States. The greater part of it may be traced directly to the 

 growing desire for development in irrigation which followed the pas- 

 sage of the National reclamation law. Except where special interests 

 complicate and obscure the issue, the public opinion of the West has 

 become unanimous in favor of forest preservation for the protection 

 •of the water supply, and practically so for the perpetuation of the 

 supply of timber. 



The necessity for the creation of forest reserves for their influence 

 on the stream flow and timber supply is being better understood and is 

 steadily receiving greater support where once there was opposition to 

 the policy. The people of the West have not only come to understand 

 that existing forests must be preserved if irrigation is to maintain its 



AGB 1903 m 497 



