GOVERNMENT FOREST WORK IN UTAH 5 



These areas have been badly overgrazed, except the part that has 

 gone into private ownership. In some cases the original users of the 

 areas have been driven out by transient stock owners. 



ADMINISTRATION 



The old forest reserves proclaimed by Presidents Harrison, Cleve- 

 land, and McKinley were placed under the administration of the 

 Department of the Interior. In 1897, they were opened to grazing 

 and other forms of legitimate use. But the report of the Commis- 

 sioner of the General Land Office, for the fiscal year ended June 30, 

 1904, says in regard to the national forests : 



I desire to renew the recommendation heretofore made by this office that 

 the work connected with the administration of forest reserves be transferred 

 to the Bureau of Forestry, in the Department of Agriculture. 



* * * The work is proving to be one of great magnitude, such industries 

 as agriculture, grazing, mining, lumbering, transportation, manufactures, and 

 commerce, in general, having a most intimate* and dependent relation to it, 

 as has been pointed out by President Roosevelt, in connection with expressing 

 the opinion that " the forest problem is in many ways the most vital internal 

 problem of the United States." 



Plainly, work recognized as involving interests of such magnitude should 

 be intrusted to a branch of the Government which can command the expert 

 talent needed to cope with the intricacies and difficulties of the problems 

 involved. 



It is needless to state that the General Land Office is neither organized nor 

 equipped for such work * * *. The application of scientific methods in 

 the development of a system of national forestry is altogether outside of and 

 beyond its scope. 



I, therefore, most earnestly desire to see this work placed by Congress in the 

 charge of a scientific branch of the Government, in which it can be expanded 

 properly along the lines essential to its success. 



The Secretary of the Interior in his report for the fiscal year 

 ended June 30. 1904. said: 



Forestry, dealing as it does with a source of wealth produced by the soil, 

 is properly an agricultural subject. The presence of properly trained foresters 

 in the Agricultural Department, as well as the nature of the subject itself, 

 makes the ultimate transfer, if found to be practicable, of the administration 

 of the forest reserves to that Department essential to the best interests of the 

 reserves and of the people who use them. 



and adds — 



I am still of the opinion therein expressed, and concur, therefore, in the 

 Commissioner's recommendation. 



In 1905 Congress transferred the administration of the forests 

 to the Department of Agriculture. 



Gifford Pinchot was the first chief forester of the United States, 

 serving from 1905 to 1910. H. S. Graves succeeded him and served 

 until 1920, he in turn being followed bv W. B. Greelev. who retained 

 the position from 1920 to 1928. In the spring of 1928, K. Y. Stuart 

 was appointed chief forester. 



On December 1, 1908, in an effort to bring the administration of 

 the national forests closer to the people who used them, forest units 

 were grouped into field administrative districts, with a district 

 forester in charge of each. There are now nine such districts (des- 

 ignated as " regions " in 1930) in the United States. 



