FOREST RANGERS' CATECHISM 15 



trees, complete fire protection, and satisfactory growing conditions 

 on cut-over areas. 



14. Why are trees marked for cutting on a timber sale? 



The marking of each tree to be cut insures the removal of all dis- 

 eased, defective, or otherwise undesirable trees and the leaving of 

 the thrifty timber of the best species which will produce the max- 

 imum amount of the best wood for future cutting. The purchas- 

 ers are guaranteed a sufficient percentage of the total volume of the 

 standing timber to render logging practicable, but the improvement 

 of the forest is the first consideration. 



15. What are the principal requirements of a Forest Service timber- 

 sale contract? 



(a) All timber shall be paid for in advance of cutting, and shall 

 be scaled or measured by a Forest Service officer. 



(b) The logging or removal of the logs from the woods to the 

 road or railroad shall be done with th,e least practicable damage to 

 the remaining trees and young growth. 



(c) All slash and debris resulting from the logging operation 

 shall be piled and burned under the direction of a forest officer. 



(d) All possible precautions shall be taken to prevent the start- 

 ing and spread of forest fires as a result of logging operations; all 

 steam equipment operated on railroad tracks shall burn oil and each 

 operator must furnish adequate fire-fighting tools and equipment 

 and labor for fire fighting. 



16. What is the idea back of these requirements? 



To keep the public forests in productive condition and thus 

 insure continuous wood production. 



17. What is the difference between a big tree and a redwood? 

 These trees are different species of the same family and genus. 



Botanically the big tree is known as Sequoia washing 'toniana, and 

 the redwood is known as Sequoia sempervirens. Because of their 

 location they need never be confused. The big tree is found only 

 on the middle slopes of the Sierra Nevada and the redwood only 

 along the Pacific coast, within reach of the ocean fogs, from Mon- 

 terey County northward to the Oregon line. 



18. Are there any big trees or redwoods in the national forests? 

 Yes. There are a number of small tracts of big trees in the 



Sequoia, Sierra, and Stanislaus National Forests, but several of the 

 best groves are in private ownership. The northernmost grove of 

 big trees, consisting of five standing and two down trees, is found 

 on the Foresthill Divide in the Tahoe National Forest east of Au- 

 burn. Some of the largest known groves of big trees, such as Giant 

 Forest and Mariposa Grove, are Government owned and are in- 

 cluded in the Sequoia, General Grant, and Yosemite National Parks. 

 Scattered tracts of redwoods are found in the Monterey division 

 of the Santa Barbara National Forest, but the greater part of the 

 redwood belt is in private ownership. More than 13,000 acres of 

 redwoods are owned by the State and are included within State 

 parks in Santa Cruz, Humboldt, and Del Norte Counties. 



