28 MISC. PUBLICATION 16 2, U. S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE 



get all the good timber possible out of each tree by cutting low 

 stumps and using as much of the tops as he can, to leave the slash in 

 such condition that there will be the least possible danger of fire, 

 and to leave young trees and seed trees for a new crop (fig. 16). 



Wliile growing timber crops, the forester does not neglect other 

 benefits of the forest. He sees to it that, so far as possible, the 

 valué of the forest for protecting water supplies, for preventing the 

 washing away of soil, for recreation, and as a home for wildlife is 

 not diminished. 



Federal Forestry 



Foresty work by the Federal Government had its beginning in 

 1876, when an agent was appointed in the Department of Agricul- 

 tura to study general forest conditions. In 1881 a división of for- 

 estry was created, but it was little more than a source of information 

 and advice. 



In these early years the forests on the publie domain had no pro- 

 tection and in the latter part of the last century were threatened 

 with extinction by fire and reckless cutting. Congress sought to 

 remedy this condition by conferring upon the President in 1891 the 

 right to establish forest reservations. This act, however, made no 

 provisión for the protection of the forests. It was not until 1897 

 that Congress passed another act providing for the systematic man- 

 agement of the reserves and placing their administration under the 

 Secretary of the Interior. 



It was soon apparent that scientific forestry was necessary for the 

 proper management of the reserves, and officials of the Department 

 of the Interior requested the aid of the experts in the Bureaii of 

 Forestry in the Department of Agriculture in the solution of tech- 

 nical problems. Later they recommended the transfer of the reserves 

 to the Department of Agriculture. In 1905, the reserves were trans- 

 ferred to the Bureau of Forestry, which then became the Forest 

 Service. Two years later the reserves were designated "national for- 

 ests," and were grouped for administrative purposes according to 

 distriets. There are now 10 of these groups known as national-f orest 

 regions, with a regional forester in charge of each. 



The Chief of the Forest Service is administrator of all the regions, 

 and is responsible directly to the Secretary of Agriculture. Assist- 

 ing him is an Associate Chief. In addition, his staff consists of an 

 Associate Chief, a Chief of Finance and Accounts and nine Assistant 

 Chiefs in charge of the various lines of work carried on by the 

 Forest Service in Washington. The regional foresters are also re- 

 sponsible to the Chief, and their ornees follow the same organization 

 plan as the Chiefs. 



There are 161 national forests, covering approximately 176,000,000 

 acres. Most of these forests are in the West and were set aside from 

 lands already owned by the Government. Under the Weeks law, 

 passecl in 1911, the Government has purchased lands for the purpose 

 of protecting the headwaters of navigable streams and for timber 

 growing. From these lands and from comparatively small áreas of 

 publie land have been formed the national forests of the East and 

 South. In 1924, the Weeks law was amended by the Clarke-McNary 

 Act, under which purchases of land for national-forest purposes are 

 now made. 



