OUR FORESTS 29 
of protecting the headwaters of navigable streams and for timber 
growing. From these lands and from comparatively small areas of 
public land have been formed the national forests of the East and 
South. In 1924, the Weeks law was amended by the Clarke-McNary 
Act, broadening the authorization under which purchases of land for 
national-forest purposes may be made. 
NATIONAL-FOREST ADMINISTRATION 
National forests are in reality huge timber farms, operated for the 
benefit of the Nation as a whole. Located as they are in all the forest 
regions of the country, they contain some representation of most of 
the important commercial timber species. The production of timber 
is one of the main reasons for their establishment, and the forests 
are managed so that they will produce a continuous supply. In them 
are, therefore, found stands of trees ranging from tiny seedlings to 
veterans of perhaps several hundred years’ growth. Mature or ripe 
standing timber, which is not growing at a profitable rate and which 
should be cut to make room for the younger generation of trees, may 
be advertised and sold on the open market to the highest bidder. AI] 
cutting, however, must be done according to forestry principles, trees 
being left to form the basis of future crops. Care is taken not to cut 
to such an extent as to destroy scenic beauty or to impair the pro- 
tective cover that the forest affords on the watersheds of streams, for 
the national forests are as important to the Nation as conservators 
of water as they are for the production of timber. They also serve 
the public in many other ways—as grazing grounds for millions of 
cattle and sheep, as recreation grounds, and as homes for wildlife. 
The general manager in charge of each of Uncle Sam’s timber farms 
is known as the forest supervisor. The supervisor is directly respon- 
sible to the regional forester and with the latter plans the work of his 
forest. Upon the supervisor devolves the successful administration 
of the forest. He must see that a continuous supply of timber is pro- 
duced and that the proper use is made of all other forest resources. 
And, too, he is responsible for the effective operation of the system of 
fire protection and control worked out for his forest. : 
Every national forest is divided into smaller units, or ranger dis- 
tricts, each under the supervision of a district ranger. The rangers 
manage their districts in accordance with the general administrative 
plans made by the supervisor and perform the detailed work required 
in the supervision of timber sales, grazing, free uses, and special uses 
of the forest. They also look after the construction of roads, trails, 
bridges, telephone lines, and other permanent improvements. 
Rangers have supervision over the recreational features of the forests 
and see to it that recreationists do not abuse the privileges granted 
them. The most constant and difficult phase of the rangers’ work, 
however, is that involved in protecting the forest from fire. The for- 
est ranger 1s therefore of necessity a hard-working, highly useful 
citizen and public officer upon whom rests much of the responsibility 
for the successful management of the national forests (fig. 17). 
In order to prevent delays in the administration of the Forest Serv- 
ice work and to keep in closer touch with problems as they arise in the 
field, the country has been divided into 10 national forest regions 
