16 Department Circular 318, U. S. Dept. of Agriculture 



Resources of this forest and is prepared to make sales under such 

 conservative methods as will maintain the continued productivity 

 of the forest. 



Like other southwestern forests, practically the entire range on 

 the Sitgreaves is used to support a stock industry. This consists 

 of 7,000 cattle and 40,000 sheep. A great deal of this stock uses the 

 forest only in the summer, seeking in winter the lower desert ranges. 

 In addition, however, many head of work and milk animals are 

 grazed free of charge by the settlers. 



Scattered among the yellow pine areas are frequent level openings 

 upon which crops can be raised. "Where these were large enough to 

 make feasible farm units, they were settled upon under the forest 

 homestead act, and in this way 43,903 acres have been alienated. 

 The 390 settlers who now cultivate these lands have practically all 

 the available agricultural lands in the forest. 



Because of its heavy timber stands and its comparatively flat 

 topography, the Sitgreaves National Forest is bound to become an 

 important factor in the lumber industry of the Southwest. It lacks 

 the scenic attractions of some of the more rugged mountain forests, 

 but for this very reason it is of high value as a timber-producing 

 forest. 



The west end of the forest, however, is cut by a number of deep, 

 precipitous canyons, which render use and even travel difficult. It 

 forms a natural wilderness 50 or 60 miles from the railroad and has 

 been considered, therefore, an excellent place into which to introduce 

 elk. Accordingly, some years ago a small herd of elk was sent there 

 from Wyoming. These animals have been protected against hunting 

 and have increased rapidly, until their number is now estimated at 

 500. If they continue to increase, it is not unlikely that a limited 

 amount of elk hunting will be allowed in this region within a few 

 years. 



Because of its large timber values, special efforts have been made 

 to protect this forest against fires. It has an excellent lookout system 

 entirely connected by telephone lines. Fires are usually located by 

 triangulation soon after they start. The network of roads and trails 

 already built gives quick access to every portion of the forest and 

 allows the rangers to reach fires before they become large. The 

 Promontory Butte lookout tower on this forest is 110 feet high and 

 is the highest tower in the Southwest. 



THE TONTO NATIONAL FOREST 



(In Gila, Maricopa, Pinal, and Yavapai Counties) 



The Tonto National Forest, named for the Tonto Apache Indians, 

 a branch of the Apache Nation, contains a gross area of 2,154,255 

 acres and is the largest in Arizona. It is administered from Phoenix. 



The Tonto Forest was established largely for the purpose of pro- 

 tecting the watershed of the Roosevelt Reservoir, which furnishes 

 water for irrigation for the great Salt River Valley. Much of its 

 area is covered only with brush, but overgrazing and uncontrolled 

 fires would destroy this, and serious damage to the Salt River Valley 

 would result. The Forest Service administration protects this vast 



