28 MISC. PUBLICATION 162. U. S. DEPT. OF AGRICULTURE 



ficial influences of the healthy forest on soil and stream flow, on wild- 

 life and human life. Lands that can best produce forest crops should 

 be kept at work growing trees. 



The forester endeavors not merely to grow repeated crops of timber 

 on the land, he endeavors to grow the greatest possible amount of 

 timber of the most valuable kinds. He also studies how to harvest 

 timber to the best advantage. He is careful in harvesting to see that 

 the loggers get all the good timber possible out of each tree by cut- 

 ting low stumps and using as much of the tops as they 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. 1$) . 



While growing timber crops, the forester does not neglect other 

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

 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 



Forestry work by the Federal Government had its begiirning in 1876. 

 when an agent was appointed in the Department of Agriculture to 

 study general forest conditions. In 1SS1 a division of forestry was 

 created, but its staff was so small that it could do little more than at- 

 tempt to gather information and give advice. 



In these early years the forests on the vast public domain of the West 

 had no protection 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 reserves. This act. however, made no 

 provision for the protection of the forests. It was not imtil 1S97 that 

 Congress passed another act providing for the systematic management 

 of the reserves, which at that time were under administration of 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 Bureau of 

 Forestrv in the Department of Agriculture in the solution of technical 

 problems. Later they recommended the transfer of the reserves to 

 the Department of Agriculture. In 1905 the reserves were transferred 

 to the Bureau of Forestry, which then became the Forest Service. 

 Two years later the reserves were designated "national forests."- and 

 were grouped for administrative purposes into several districts. There 

 are now 10 of these groups, known as national-forest 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. His staff 

 consists of six Assistant 'Chiefs and a Chief of Fiscal Control. The 

 regional foresters are also responsible to the Chief, and their offices 

 follow the same organization plan as the Chief's in Washington. 



There are 152 national forests, covering approximately 1S0.000.000 

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

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

 passed in 1911. the Government has purchased lands for the purpose 



