protection must be confined 
to the forested watersheds 
of navigable rivers; (2) the 
State must have provided by 
law for a system of forest-fire 
protection; (3) the Federal 
funds expended in any State 
during a fiscal year must not 
exceed the amount 
appropriated by the State for 
the same purpose during 
the same fiscal year. It is 
notable that these were the 
first two sections of the act 
and set precedents for future 
Federal— State cooperation 
and cost-sharing. 
Other sections of the act 
established the National 
Forest Reservation 
Commission and provided 
the authority and procedures 
for identifying, examining, 
and acquiring land for 
national forests. Large 
acreages of the eastern 
national forests were 
acquired under this authority. 
Though later expanded, the 
original authority for purchase 
was restricted to the purpose 
of protecting the headwaters 
of navigable streams. There 
was also considerable 
interest in having the Federal 
Government turn the lands 
over to the States, but this 
was not provided in the law. 
However, the act did require 
approval of the States before 
land could be purchased. 
The Federal—State 
cooperation provided in the 
Weeks Law was a major 
turning point for many States. 
With Federal funds 
available — $200,000 was 
authorized the first 
year — conservation interests 
could work toward a State 
forestry organization with 
some assurance of Federal 
help to match State funds 
for fire protection 
(Zimmerman 1976). 
Among the first steps in 
bringing the cooperative 
efforts to full and fair 
application was a conference 
in January 1913 for the 
purpose of discussing the 
fire-control program under 
the Weeks law. An Office of 
State Cooperative Fire 
Protection had been set up 
by the Forest Service in 
1911 and was able to report 
progress and other 
information, which 
demonstrated that the results 
were beyond expectation. 
The administration of the law 
and various methods of fire 
control were among items 
for discussion. There was a 
strong feeling that the Weeks 
law cooperation on fire control 
had been successful and 
that Congress should be 
requested to make the 
appropriation permanent. In 
July 1914, the Forest Service 
established a separate Office 
of Cooperation with Private 
Timberland Owners, but 
merged it with the Office of 
State Cooperative Fire 
