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WORK OF THE UNITED STATES FOREST SERVICH 39 
his horse in country where it is often scarce. On the Alaska national 
forests travel is almost entirely by water, and the ranger must add 
to his other skills that of knowing how to navigate a seagoing launch. 
On districts where the work is heavy, the ranger may be assisted 
by one or more assistant rangers. Ordinarily: junior foresters are 
selected to act as assistant rangers. The position of forest ranger is 
filled through promotion of qualified employees of the Forest Service 
who have demonstrated their ability to handle administrative work. 
Ficuke 30.—The forest ranger is an administrator of a huge area of land and carries 
heavy responsibilities. In order to become familiar with his entire district, he must 
often make hard trips afield to remote localities. 
In addition to the different classes of forest officers mentioned, 
logging engineers, lumbermen, scalers, planting assistants, engineers, 
landscape specialists, wildlife specialists, economists, ecologists, etc., 
are employed on the forest in the work of timber appraisal, cruising, 
scaling, forest planting and nursery work, and other specialized 
activities. Like all other permanent employees, they are appointed 
only after a civil-service examination. 
Forest guards are temporary employees appointed during the sea- 
son of greatest fire danger. They are usually men who are thor- 
oughly familiar with the country in which they are to serve. More 
than 5,000 forest guards are employed on the national forests each 
year. 
