f%fy- In the Open— The National Forests of Washington 



Settlers who live within or near a Forest are allowed to graze a small number 

 of domestic stock free of charge. Care is taken to see that each settler and stock- 

 man gets his fair allotment of range, and that the range is not overgrazed and 

 spoiled for the next grazing season. 



The greatest menace to the forest is fire, and the Federal Government spends 

 annually on the National Forests of Washington about $60,000 for patrol work 

 and from $5,000 to $80,000 for actual fire fighting. On each of the Forests in 

 Washington there are one or more lookouts who are stationed on the higher peaks 

 and ridges. Upon these the Forest Service depends for the speedy discovery of 

 fires. It is intended that all parts of every Forest shall be under constant obser- 

 vation during the summer season. The lookout is housed in a small cabin and 

 pro\dded wdth field glasses and instruments for determining the location of fires. 

 Telephone lines enable him to report the fire to the district ranger. Once a fire 

 is discovered and located, it is the business of the ranger to put it out. Tools 

 are always ready at the ranger stations and in special boxes at strategic points 

 in the Forest. The ranger and his assistants are always ready for prompt action, 



'and the majority of fires are reached and extinguished inexpensively by a small 

 crew before they spread to large proportions. If the fire is too large for the ranger 

 to handle, the Forest supervisor takes charge and by means of plans made in 



%dvance is able to secure on short notice experienced crews of fire fighters, trans- 

 portation, and large supplies of tools and equipment and food for the men who 

 may have to spend a week or more on the fire line. The greatest energies of the 

 Forest Service are directed to the prevention and suppression of fires. 



For the purpose of making the timber more accessible, for facility in getting 

 to fires quickly, and for opening up the Forest to the people, the Forest Ser\dce 

 has built, in all the National Forests, a total of 4,419 miles of roads and 23,239 

 miles of trail. Ten per cent of the receipts from timber sales, grazing fees, etc., is 

 used for building roads and trails for the benefit of the public, and another 25 per 

 cent of the receipts is paid to the States by the Federal Government for the benefit 

 of county schools and roads. The appropriation in 191 6 by Congress of $10,000,000 

 to be used at the rate of $1,000,000 a year and the appropriating in 191 9 of 

 $3,000,000 a year for three years for the construction of National Forest roads, will 



^|make possible the building of roads on a much larger scale than has hitherto 

 been possible. 



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