15 



To be eligible as ranger of any grade the applicant must be, first of 

 all, thoroughly sound and able-bodied, capable of enduring hardships 

 and of performing severe labor under trying conditions. No one may 

 expect to pass the examination who is not already able to take care of 

 himself and his horses in regions remote from settlements and sup- 

 plies. He must be able to build trails and cabins, shoot, ride, pack, 

 and deal tactfully with all classes of people. He must know some- 

 thing of land surveying, estimating and scaling timber, logging, land 

 laws, mining, and the live-stock business. 



The examination of applicants is along the practical lines indicated 

 above, and they are required to show that they can do these things by 

 actually doing them. Where boats, saddle horses, or pack horses are 

 necessary in the performance of their duty, rangers are required to 

 own and maintain them. Rangers execute the work of the forest 

 reserves under the direction of the supervisor. Their duties include 

 patrol to prevent fire and trespassing; estimating, surveying, and 

 marking timber; the supervision of cuttings, and other similar work. 

 They issue minor permits, build cabins and trails, enforce grazing 

 restrictions, investigate claims, report on applications, and arrest for 

 violation of reserve laws and regulations. In the absence of the super- 

 visor, charge of the reserve falls on one of the rangers or the forest 

 assistant. 



Deputy rangers and assistant rangers have charge of definite dis- 

 tricts, to which they are assigned by the supervisor. They supervise 

 forest guards stationed within their districts, and may also be given 

 temporary laborers when necessary. 



In addition to the permanent classified force upon the reserves, 

 forest guards receiving |60 or less a month are employed to fill 

 vacancies for which the eligible list is inadequate or to supply addi- 

 tional men for patrol and protective work for not over six months at 

 a time. Forest guards have the powers and duties of assistant forest 

 rangers. 



FOREST MANAGEMENT. 



This office deals with the problems of management offered by exist- 

 ing forests, whether these are on the National reserves or on tracts 

 belonging to some State, company, or individual. Its work is divided, 

 broadly, between the reserves and cooperative projects. 



The section of timber sales has oversight of the disposal of timber 

 on the reserves. Working plans are prepared as far as possible in 

 advance of all sales, and in every case sales are carried on under con- 

 tracts which provide for the right silvical condition of the forest, 

 careful logging methods, and safeguards against fire. An important 

 provision in all sales of large amount limits the period of the sale, the 

 longest contract being for rive yoars, and requires that each year a 

 definite quantity be removed. In this way speculation in reserve 



