46 



SURVEYS OF FOREST RESERVES. 



forests of many of the reserves may often be a matter of a week's work 

 for several men, on account of the enormous mass of fallen and decaying 

 wood on the ground. In view of the crucial importance of attacking 

 threatening fires with sufficient force and without delay, the tire fund 

 here recommended appears to be essential, and any surplus in the con- 

 tingent fund should be made available for the same purpose. It should 

 be noted, however, tliat great care will be required in the expenditure 

 of this money, and that the rates fixed for labor should be reasonably 

 small. Otherwise fires may be set for the purpose of creating a demand 

 for men to extinguish them. 



DISTEIBUTION OF FOKCE. 



As has been said, it appears inadvisable to scatter a force of the size 

 recommended over the whole extent of the reserves, an area of more 

 than 60,000 square miles. On the contrary, I have to recommend the 

 concentration of the force upon those reserves where the danger from 

 fire and illegal cutting is most serious and where the demand and 

 opportunity for administration are largest. The reserves which these 

 considerations indicate are the Black Hills, Bitterroot, Washington, 

 Cascade, and the four reserves of southern California, the San G-abriel, 

 San Bernardino, San Jacinto, and Trabuoo Canyon, which, for admin- 

 istrative purposes, may conveniently be treated as one. Supervision 

 should also be exercised by the officer in charge of the Bitterroot 

 Reserve over portions of the Flathead and Lewis and Clark. The total 

 area within the boundaries of these reserves is 12,250,000 acres, and 

 the cost of the administration here proposed would amount to about 

 5.6 mills per acre per annum. It does not seem wise to reduce this 

 amount still further by scattering the force over a larger area. The 

 following table exhibits the disposition provisionally recommended, 

 with the points of residence of the executive and protective officers. 

 Fuller experience will undoubtedly indicate considerable variations 

 from the detail here laid down. Much of the larger part of the time of 

 each officer should be spent in the field. So far as possible those points 

 are indicated from which various parts ^f the reserves are most easily 

 accessible. The headquarters of the chief forester and the forest 

 inspector would natariilly be in Washington. 



Bangers. 



Guards. 



Fire watcliera. 



Black Hills 



Bitterroot 



Washington 



Cascade 



Southern CaJifornia 

 reaervfis. 



1 at Beadwood, 1 at 

 Custer. 



1 at Missoula - 

 1 at Hamilton . 



1 at Oregon City, 1 at 

 Eosehurg. 



1 at San Bernardino . 



5 at or near Beadwood, Roch- 

 ford. Ouster, Sheridan, Bear 

 Guloh. 



4 at or near Haniilton, Darby, 

 Ovando, Columbia Falls. 



4 at or near ^larblemount, 

 Monte Criato, Index, Stehe- 

 kin. 



5 at or near Summit Camp, De- 

 troit, Slaters, Bia; Meadows, 

 Fort Klamath. 



2 at or near Pasadena, Hemet. . 



60 at local points. 



30 at local points. 

 25 at local points. 



20 at local points. 



15 at local points. 



It will be noticed that the force recommended for the Black Hills is 

 much stronger in proportion to area than elsewhere. This is done 

 because this reserve offers by far the best opportunity for successful 

 forest management. There will be found more work to be done per 

 acre than in the other reserves recommended for occupation, and sue- 



