GOVERNMENT FOREST WORK. 3 



begins in the southern Rockies of New Mexico to the 

 pine and fir forests of the Canadian line in Montana 

 and Idaho, from the brush-covered foothills of the 

 San Jacinto and San Bernardino Mountains in south- 

 ern California to the vast softwood stands of the 

 Olympics and Cascades in northern Washington, the 

 National Forests lie mainly on the mountain slopes. 

 Even along the Alaskan shore, where the Tonga ss 

 and Chugach Forests form a tattered ribbon 600 miles 

 long from the southern tip of the Territory to within 

 sight of Mount McKinley, the valuable Sitka spruce 

 and hemlock growth clothes the lower flanks of the 

 coastal mountains. In these rugged regions of the 

 country permanent forests will make the land of high- 

 est service. 



The timber, water, grazing, recreational oppor- 

 tunities, and other resources of the National Forests 

 are for the use of the people. They contribute largely 

 to industrial enterprises through their yearly cut of 

 over three-quarters of a billion feet of timber, mostly 

 used by sawmills and mines, protect watersheds of 

 about one-third of the water-power resources of the 

 country and the pure and abundant water supplies 

 of a thousand towns and cities, furnish pasturage 

 for nearly 15,000,000 head of live stock of all ages, 

 and afford playgrounds for millions of recreation 

 seekers, to whom these vacation places are made 

 accessible by the building of roads and trails. 



This booklet tells in a general way how these 

 resources are handled in carrying on' the manifold 

 work involved in making them of fullest use to the 

 public. It tells also something of other activities of 

 the Forest Service conducted to bring about better 

 use of our forests and forest products generally. 

 More detailed information concerning the use of the 



