FOREST SERVICE. 11 



(2) That a reasonable charge should be made for all such use 

 whenever the permit involves withdrawal of the particular resource 

 or land from use by the people in general. 



(3) The charge, however, may probably be remitted (a) when the 

 use granted will result in direct benefit to the forest reserve or its 

 administration, as with telephone lines, wagon roads, trails, etc.; 

 (&) when the use is by another branch of the Government, by a State, 

 county, or municipality, or by private individuals or associations of 

 persons for the use of water to develop their own land and not to be 

 sold commercially. 



The basis upon which charges in connection with the use of water 

 should be calculated was definitely determined as follows : 



(1) A charge per mile for the length of the ditches, conduits, pipe 

 lines, transmission lines, etc. This applies when no greater width is 

 allowed than that actually necessary at any one point for the enjoy- 

 ment of the privilege. 



(2) A charge per acre for land actually granted for occupancy, as 

 areas flooded by reservoirs, land for power houses, residences, hotels, 

 fenced pastures, etc. 



(3) A charge for the conservation of the water supply and the use 

 of advantageous locations and other privileges. The water itself 

 is granted by the State, not by the United States. 



Thus, in a permit for a project to develop electricity the charge 

 would be based upon : First, the length of the conduits, transmission 

 lines, etc. ; second, the area occupied by power houses, reservoirs, etc. ; 

 third, the conservation of the water supply and the advantageous 

 location which makes it possible to obtain a fall to turn the water- 

 wheel. The policy assumes that amount of water used is a proper 

 measure of its conservation by the forest reserve, and that the horse- 

 power developed at the wheel, since it results from the water con- 

 served and from the fall furnished, is a proper measure of the entire 

 conservation furnished by the Forest Service to the permittee. 



During the fiscal year just ended 965 privilege applications were 

 received. Of this number 662 were approved, 35 were rejected, and 

 268 were awaiting reports from the forest supervisors, either because 

 recently received or because depth of snow prevented intelligent field 

 examination. 



The work of the Section of Law during the past year was of the 

 utmost advantage to the Forest Service. 



FOREST BESERVES. 



During the past year the chief effort of the Forest Service was to 

 increase the usefulness of the National forest reserves. Definite 

 progress was made along the following main lines : 



(1) The division of the reserves into three districts, with an officer 

 in charge of the organization, equipment, protection, and other 

 purely administrative matters for each district. These district offi- 

 cers are stationed in Washington, directly under the Forester, and 

 act thru him. They cooperate in all matters under their charge with 

 the various offices of the Service. The chiefs of these offices issue 

 instructions in their own lines of work to all field officers on the 

 forest reserves in all matters except such as require action by the For- 

 ester. To insure imiformity of action and to avoid possible conflict. 



