lg MISC. PUBLICATION 290. U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



of drift fences, bridges, trails, or other works. The Forest Service 

 allots funds for such construction when the benefit to the forest 

 plainly warrants the expenditure. Local stockmen frequently cooper- 

 ate in the development of these improvements. 



REFORESTATION BY PLANTING 



Many of the national forests, particularly those recently acquired 

 in the Lake States and the South, include areas that were devastated 

 by heavy logging and repeated forest fires prior to their establish- 



Figure 13. — Forest Service trail on the 



F-222257 



Medicine Bow National Forest, Wyo. 



ment as national forests. When devastation is so complete that 

 desirable types of forest growth cannot be expected to return 

 naturally, it is necessary to plant trees on these areas in order to 

 restore protective cover to watersheds and to return them to forest 

 productivity as soon as possible. Because nursery-grown trees are- 

 better able to survive, most planting is with tree seedlings grown in 

 Forest Service nurseries, rather than by direct field seeding. 



Increased capacity of Forest Service nurseries has enabled plant- 

 ing operations to be greatly expanded in recent years. More than 

 a score of tree nurseries, staffed with trained nursery technicians, 

 and producing 3 7 oung trees by the millions suitable for planting in 

 the various national-forest regions are now being maintained. 



