16 



MISCELLANEOUS CIRCULAR NO. 61 



Table 6. — National forests of Idaho — headquarters and area — Continued 



SOUTH IDAHO 



Forest 



Headquarters 



Area in acres 



Gross 



Net 





Boise . 



1, 121, 195 

 i 508, 538 

 i 734, 714 

 1, 265, 816 

 1, 891, 293 

 1, 367, 171 

 1 545, 076 

 1, 239, 139 

 1, 687, 127 

 1, 177, 821 

 i 1, 053, 423 

 665, 029 



1, 062, 797 





Logan, Utah ... . . 



1 494, 161 





Montpelier .. _. . 



1 698, 255 



Challis.-. 



Challis 



1, 253, 583 





McCall 



1, 856, 789 



Lemhi... . . _ ... . . . . 



Mackay . .. 



1, 354, 964 





Burley -.--.. 



1 521, 071 



Payette. . ..-..-.... - - 



Emmett. . .. . 



1, 202, 153 





Salmon 



1, 664, 160 





Hailey. . .. 



1, 158, 551 





St. Anthony. 



1 1, 011, 545 





Weiser... ... . 



566, 241 











13, 256, 342 

 20, 842, 621 



12, 844, 270 



Grand total... . . ... 





19, 052, 460 









1 The portion of the forest that lies in Idaho. 



Each national forest is subdivided into ranger districts, each of 

 which is in charge of a forest ranger. The rangers constitute the 

 permanent organization and are employed throughout the year. 

 During the summer season a large number of temporary employees 

 are hired to assist in preventing, discovering, and suppressing forest 

 fires. They act as lookouts, firemen, or patrolmen. 



The forest ranger is responsible for the protection and administra- 

 tion of his district, which usually includes from 100,000 to 150,000 

 acres. He supervises and directs the timber sales and the grazing, 

 recreational, and other uses within his district. He builds roads, 

 trails, bridges, telephone lines, and other permanent improvements. 

 During the long, dry summer season he directs the fire-protection 

 organization of his district. A ranger must be sound in body, for 

 he is called upon to work for long periods at a strenuous pace, in all 

 kinds of weather. He must know how to pack supplies and take 

 care of himself and his horse in regions where he is thrown entirely 

 upon his own resources. He must also have executive ability prop- 

 erly to handle the business and give adequate public service. 



The entire personnel of the Forest Service is selected through 

 civil-service examinations, each individual being chosen on account 

 of special fitness to handle the work intrusted to him. 



FOREST FIRES j 



In order to maintain growing forests and obtain from them the 

 greatest production of timber, it is absolutely necessary to keep 

 down forest fires. The forests of Idaho have always been subject 

 to conflagrations; evidences are everywhere apparent of fires that 

 occurred even before the earliest records were kept. Originally, it 

 may be presumed, these fires were largely the result of lightning, 

 and the Indians, who were the only inhabitants of the region, made 

 no effort to extinguish them. The coming of the white man, with 

 the later settlement and development, the clearing of land for agri- 

 culture, logging operations, and general utilization of the forests 

 for camping and recreation, have greatly increased the number of 



