34 GOVERNMENT FOREST WORK. 



employed upon the National Forests as supervisors, 

 deputy supervisors, rangers, guards, etc.. and 949 

 were engaged in administrative, scientific, and clerical 

 work at the Washington and district headquarters 

 and the Forest Products Laboratory. 



Forest Officers and the Public. 



Whoever wishes to make any use of the resources 

 of the National Forests for which a permit is required 

 should consult the nearest forest officer. Supervisors, 

 rangers, and other forest officers carry out the ad- 

 ministrative policy prescribed for the National 

 Forests by Congress, as embodied in the regulations 

 made by the Secretary of Agriculture. Forest officers 

 are agents of the people and their duty is to assist 

 the public in making use of the resources of the 

 Forests. They aim to prevent misunderstanding and 

 violation of Forest regulations by timely and tactful 

 advice rather than to follow up violations by the 

 exercise of their authority. Forest users can aid 

 greatly in the efficient performance of the public 

 business by according to forest officers the same frank- 

 ness, consideration, and courtesy which the forest 

 officers are expected to show them. 



The Extension of Forestry Practice. 



The greatness of the National Forest enterprise and 

 the prominence accorded its accomplishments have 

 given the impression to some that the problem of 

 forestry is solved. In point of fact, this is by no 

 means the case, for the National Forests contain only 

 about one-sixth of the forest area of the country and 

 little more than one-fifth of the standing saw timber. 

 Private owners hold seven-tenths of the timberland 

 of the United States. The amount of material which 



