INTRODUCTION xxxv 



ship of the United States but will be leased under 

 long-term leases from which the Government will 

 receive yearly a fair rental. 



The Forests Were Protected from Fire and 

 Trespass. But not only have these large timber, 

 forage, and power resources been put under admin- 

 istration for the use of the people. The protection 

 of the National Forests, which goes hand in hand 

 with their administration, means a great deal to 

 the local communities, the States, and the nation as 

 a whole. Until about twenty years ago the forests 

 upon our public lands — the timber of the Rocky 

 Mountains from Montana to New Mexico and of 

 the Pacific Coast ranges from northern Washing- 

 ton to southern California — seemed destined to 

 be destroyed by fire and reckless, illegal cutting. 

 Nothing whatever was being done to protect them 

 from fire or trespass. They were simply left to 

 bum. When the people living near the public do- 

 main wanted any house logs, fence posts, or fire- 

 wood, they went into the public domain and took 

 them. The best trees were usually taken first. In 

 California, especially, there was a common practice 

 of cutting down the finest sugar pine trees and 

 cutting and splitting them into shakes to make a 



