18 BULLETIN 950, U. S. DEPARTMENT OE AGRICULTURE. 



cently no one has been interested in such sites, and casual knowledge 

 of the region is not sufficient to locate them. However, the Forest 

 Service is now conducting general reconnaissance work, and all pros- 

 pective power and reservoir sites are being noted as the region is 

 systematically cruised and mapped. In its administrative work 

 also, efforts are continually being made to augment the existing in- 

 formation on power possibilities of interest to pulp and paper manu- 

 facturing enterprises. 



WATER-POWER PERMITS. 



The Federal water-power act (H. E. 3184) provides for the estab- 

 lishment of the Federal Power Commission, with offices in Washing- 

 ton, D. C, having authority to act in the administrative control 

 of all power sites on the navigable waters and on the public lands 

 and reservations of the United States, and over the location, design, 

 construction, maintenance, and operation of power projects on such 

 sites. Among the general duties assigned to the commission, the fol- 

 lowing are of immediate interest to those who are contemplating 

 water-power developments : To issue preliminary permits for power 

 projects; to issue licenses for power projects and transmission lines 

 on navigable waters, public lands, and reservations of the United 

 States; to prescribe rules for and to fix annual license charges; and 

 to determine the relation of such charges to prices to consumers. 



The Federal water power act applies to National Forests and pro- 

 vides a basis of charges as follows : 



That the licensee shall pay to the United States reasonable annual charges in 

 an amount to be fixed by the commission for the purpose of reimbursing the 

 United States for the costs of administration of this act ; for recompensing it 

 for the use, occupancy, and enjoyment of its lands or other property; and for 

 the expropriation to the Government of excessive profits until the respective 

 States shall make provision for preventing excessive profits or for the expropria- 

 tion thereof to themselves or until the period of amortization as herein provided 

 is reached, and in fixing such charges the commission shall seek to avoid increas- 

 ing the price to consumers of power by such charges. 



The passage of this act gives stimulus to water-power development 

 which has been handicapped in the past, largely on account of the un- 

 certainty of tenure under the old law. The legislation provides for 

 the issuance at reasonable rates of term licenses, which will be irre- 

 vocable except for violation of their terms. 



DEVELOPED WATER POWER IN ALASKA. 



About 15 water-power projects, developing a total of 37,350 horse- 

 power, were reported in 1917 for the region of southeastern Alaska. 

 These plants furnish power for mining and various other industries. 

 The largest plant in southeastern Alaska develops 5,700 horsepower. 



