SEE REVISED 
I 
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 
MISCELLANEOUS PUBLICATION No. 290 
Issued January 1938 
Washington, D. C. Slightly revised February 1939 
WORK OF THE UNITED STATES 
FOREST SERVICE’ 
Prepared by the Forest Service 
CONTENTS 
Page : Page 
introduction®= —--=-- == OEE igs a ae aA 1 | State and private cooperation___-_.___________ 92 
Tne mMationaltOnestssas soe ee ne ee 3 Better management of private forests____- 22 
Forests created from public domain---_-_-_ 4 State aid under the Clarke-McNary law-- 23 
The purchase of forest lands______-_-._--- 5 Prairie States forestry project____________- 24 
Wise use—the guiding principle___________ 6 Land acquisition for State forests_________ 26 
Management of timber resources - -___-__-- 8 Other cooperative programs_____________- 26 
Range resources and their use__________-_ 10 | Forest and range research_____________________ 26 
Protection of our watersheds___________-_ 10 Management and protection______________ 27 
Recreation opportunities and facilities____ 12 HOKeSG NH TEN Cesta ees eee eed ee 29 
Primitive areas are maintained_________-- 13 ROKeStsDLOCUCtSHe asa = a eee me 29 
Conservation of wildlife________:_-_-_-_-- 13 HIOTES TRECOMO TNT CS eee eee eee eee ce 30 
Receipts andctheinuses es eee 15 Range investigations _-_-_-___ yeaaee! erate ces 31 
Improvements in the forests____________-- 16 iP xXpenimMentaltancassen ase ae oe 32 
Reforestation by planting________-_____-_- 18 | Civilian Conservation Corps_______-___-_-__- 33 
Protection of national forests.__._-_-___-_ 19 | Other emergency projects_________________-___ 35 
informationvonyfores tyson eee 35 
Forest Service organization___________________ 36 
INTRODUCTION 
Forest depletion, which went on in the United States practically 
unchecked for more than 100 years, received its first real curb at the 
turn of the twentieth century. 
The need for a conservation policy had been felt for a long time, 
but it was not until increasing demands of a rapidly expanding 
civilization sharply accelerated the rate of forest use—and misuse— 
and emphasized this need tremendously that public opinion called for 
Federal action to halt the destruction of the forest resources. 
It was apparent that things were happening to the forests. They 
_ were being logged without thought of future timber requirements; 
uncontrolled fires and excessive cutting were destroying the remaining 
timber, preventing natural reproduction of trees, and stripping im- 
portant watersheds of their protective covering. In short, it was 
clear that the public itself, through its Federal Government, should 
take steps toward the proper management of areas of greatest influ- 
ence upon public welfare and exert every effort toward extension of 
sound principles to forest management and use. 
At this time also it was evident that a great advance had been 
made in the development of scientific forestry. Public-spirited 
citizens wished to apply this new knowledge in order to restore 
and maintain the usefulness of the country’s forest lands. 
_ 1 This publication supersedes Department Circular 211, Government Forest Work, issued 
in April 1922. 
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