16 GOVERNMENT FOREST WORK. 



Government is anxious to sell the mature timber on 

 the Forests, because it is no longer growing at a 

 profitable rate and should give way to young trees 

 and seedlings which will insure continuous produc- 

 tion. The fewest possible restrictions are imposed 

 upon purchasers of timber, only such as will insure 

 cut-over areas being left in the best condition for 

 future growth. Experienced woodsmen estimate the 

 quantity and quality of National Forest timber and 

 its approximate value as a basis for the price to be 

 charged. In fixing this, all factors which affect the 

 cost of lumbering, such as accessibility, number and 

 kind of improvements necessary, etc., as well as gen- 

 eral market conditions, are taken into account. The 

 prices set allow the purchaser of National Forest 

 timber opportunity for a fair profit. Bids are then 

 obtained through public advertisement, unless the 

 amount is small enough to come within the limit which 

 can be sold without advertisement. Information con- 

 cerning attractive logging chances and the conditions 

 of sale is gladly given inquirers, for the Forest Service 

 wants the ripe timber used. 



The trees to be cut on a sale area are marked in 

 advance by a forest officer, the object being to leave 

 enough of the younger trees to seed the ground and 

 form the basis of a second crop of timber on the same 

 land. This is merely applying the principles of prac- 

 tical forestry to make sure that there will always be 

 timber on the National Forests to cut. Timber on 

 the watersheds of streams is not cut to an extent that 

 will impair the protective cover that the forest affords, 

 because one of the chief objects of the National For- 

 ests is to regulate stream flow. 



Small sales of timber are made by local forest offi- 

 cers without delay. Red-tape methods are not per- 

 mitted in National Forest timber sales, big or little. 



