2 Department Circular 318, U-. S, Dept. of Agriculture 



the Government in their administration to make them in perpetuity 

 most useful to the greatest number of people. In accordance with 

 this policy, the timber resources of the forests are handled as a crop 

 under approved forestry practice, and it is j^roposed ultimately to cut 

 about the same amount each year. Under such a system it is be- 

 lieved that the productive capacity of these forests can be largely 

 increased, and that an annual timber supply, Trhich will make pos- 

 sible the establishment of a permanent lumber industry, is assured 

 to the State. 



The cut of timber from the Arizona national forests in 1923 was 

 42,000,000 feet. Although there are some large operators, much of 

 this timber was cut by men having small mills. As these forests are 

 further developed the timber cut will no doubt increase until their 

 productive capacity is reached, which is well over 100,000,000 feet 

 of timber annually. It may therefore be expected that in the future 









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Fig. 1. — Western yellow pine — the important timber tree- of Arizona 



local material will take the place of much of the lumber that now 

 enters Arizona from the Pacific coast. 



The worst enemy of the forest is fire. Where fires burn, no forests 

 can be produced, and although fires in the yellow pine forests of 

 Arizona rarely kill mature trees, they damage them and burn up 

 young trees which would otherwise form the new crop. Forestry 

 is therefore impossible where forest fires are allowed to burn uncon- 

 trolled, and the first duty of the national forest administration is to 

 protect the forest resources against fires. 



About one-half of the fires on Arizona national forests in 1923 were 

 the result of the carelessness of man. The rest were caused by light- 

 ning. Of those caused by man nearly two-thirds were due to camp- 

 ers and smokers. Much damage to the forests could, therefore, be 

 prevented if persons who go into them would be more carefuL The 

 forest administration requests the cooperation of the public, both 

 in preventing fires and in reporting them if they do occur. 



