ing in the 2-year period. For range improvements, including 

 reseeding, $5,000,000 a year could be used advantageously. The 

 total of such work on all western national forests would involve 

 upwards of $100,000,000. 



34. Should grazing permittees be allowed and encouraged to 

 make range improvements on national forests, including 

 water developments, fencing, reseeding, rodent and weed 

 control, and soil and water conservation, at their own 

 expense? 



Yes; of course, but unacceptable strings should not be attached 

 to offers of cooperation. If cooperation is made conditional upon 

 receiving special and unusual privileges or is detrimental to the 

 public interests it cannot be accepted. Otherwise, permittee 

 cooperation in the construction and maintenance of needed range 

 improvements on the national forests has been and still is desired 

 by the Forest Service and is encouraged to the fullest extent in 

 keeping with the objects of good management. 



35. What do national forests contribute to local and State gov- 

 ernments to offset loss of tax base? 



Contributions of the national forests to local and State govern- 

 ments are of three kinds : ( 1 ) Cash contributions ; ( 2 ) physical 

 improvements ; and ( 3 ) relief from cost of certain administrative 

 and policing duties. 



Each year an amount equal to 25 percent of the cash receipts 

 of the national forests goes to the States containing national forests, 

 for distribution to the counties in the national forests for road 

 and school purposes. An additional 10 percent of receipts is 

 allotted for expenditures on national-forest roads and trails in 

 the States of origin, so that the States and local communities get 

 the direct benefit of 35 percent of national-forest gross receipts. 



Improvements include range fences, water developments, look- 

 out towers, roads, trails, telephone lines, and recreation facilities. 

 The accumulative investment by the Government in all types of 

 physical improvements on national-forest lands in the 1 1 Western 

 States on June 30, 1948, totaled more than $268,000,000. During 

 the fiscal year 1948, $49,000,000 of Forest Service funds were 

 expended in these States for protection and development purposes, 

 general administration, and other costs connected with Forest 

 Service activities. All these expenditures help to provide local 

 employment and increase the value and use of local resources, as 

 well as the business derived from this use. 



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