FOREST SERVICE. 15 



A decided advance was made in establishing and marking the 

 boundaries of reserves, in cooperation with the United States Geo- 

 logical Survey. This work is essential to the discovery and preven- 

 tion of trespass. 



The damage done by forest fires has been greatly lessened. Approx- 

 imately 279,000 acres were burned over— less than three-tenths of 1 

 per cent of the total area of the forest reserves. 



On the passage of the act, on June 11, 1906, providing for the set- 

 tlement of agricultural lands in the reserves, arrangements were 

 immediately made for the examination, as provided in the law, of 

 the lands applied for, by a corps of men especially qualified for the 

 work. 



The examination of lands for proposed reserves and additions to 

 and ehminations from existing reserves has gone on rapidly. More 

 than 30 million acres were examined during the year. 



INSPECTION. 



The work of the Section of Inspection during the past vear aided 

 greatly in increasing the effectiveness of the reserve force, both upon 

 existing reserves and in organizing administration upon new reserves. 

 Forty-one reserves already under administration were thoroly in- 

 spected, and inspectors assisted greatly also in the organization of the 

 reserve force upon 10 new reserves. The number of inspectors was 

 increased during the year from 8 to 14. 



ad:ministration. 



Under the new organization described above, the following reserve 

 districts were established: 



Northern District: Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, 

 Minnesota. 



Southern District: Utah, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Ne- 

 braska, Kansas, Oklahoma. 



Western District: Washington, Oregon, California, Alaslta. 



Of the 93 reserves in existence on July 1, 1905, 77, with a total area 

 of 73,565,691 acres, were under administration, in charge of 54 super- 

 visors or other officers. During the year 31,265,520 acres were placed 

 under administration, with an increase of 28 officers in charge. 



GBAZING ON THE RESERVES. 



RANGE CONDITIONS. 



The crop of forage on the forest reserves was better during the 

 past season than for years before. Favorable climatic conditions 

 resulted in an abundance of early feed, and the lamb crop was the 

 largest reported for many years. Altho some ranges have in the past 

 been overstocked, the large amount of feed now on the ranges will 

 probably make unnecessary any very great reductions next spring. 



The abundance of feed outside of the reserves has, in some locali- 

 ties, lessened the demand for forest-reserve range, and has made the 

 settlement of controversies in new reserves easier than it would other- 

 wise have been. Yet in the old reserves the regular users applied for 

 permits to graze about the same number of stock as the jDrevious 

 year. 



