44 ANNUAL REPORT OF 



Professor William H. Brewer, of Yale University; Mr. 

 Arnold Hague, of the United States Geological Survey; 

 Mr. Alexander Agassiz, and Mr. Giflford Pinchot, forester, 

 to perform the duty. The members of this commission 

 began their work July 2, 1896, "visited most or all of the 

 forest reservations and other public forests of the United 

 States, devoting three months of hard travel and careful 

 study, without compensation, to the work assigned them." 

 Their report, dated May i, 1897, was drawn up by the 

 chairman, Professor Charles S. Sargent, and signed by 

 all the members, and contains much valuable information 

 and various recommendations; and is accompanied by 

 several carefully drawn bills which, or portions of which, 

 have been enacted by Congress. The appointment and 

 labors of such a commission, of course, gave a great im- 

 pulse to American forestry. The commission recom- 

 mended the establishment of a permanent forest bureau, 

 composed of trained officers, to administer, maintain and 

 improve the reserved forested lands; that topographical 

 surveys, under the supervision of the Director of the 

 Geological Survey, be made of the reservations to deter- 

 mine what portions of them should be permanently 

 reserved on account of their forest covering, and what 

 portions should be reopened to entry and sale; that regu- 

 lations should be issued for the protection, growth and 

 improvement of the forests on the reservations, for the 

 sale of timber, firewood and fencing to actual settlers and 

 to owners of mines; for allowing the pubHc to enter and 

 cross the reservations, etc. , etc. ; that all public lands of 

 the United States more valuable for the production of 

 timber than for agriculture or mining shall be withdrawn 

 from sale, settlement and other disposition, and held for 

 the growth and sale of timber. 



