16 
DECIDING ON THE PROPER COURSE OF ACTION. 
In respect to trespasses there are, in general, the follow¬ 
ing possible actions: 
A. Legal: 
1. Criminal. 
a. State. 
b. Federal. 
2. Civil (costs, damages, injunctions, etc.); always 
Federal so far as concerns national forests. 
B. Administrative: Revoking of permits or refusal of 
new ones, cancellation of priorities or reduction of num¬ 
bers (in grazing permits), etc. 
In cases of willful fires, criminal action is mandatory 
whenever evidence can be secured sufficient to sustain 
it, and is usually so in the case of negligent fires originat¬ 
ing on the national forests. The effort to secure such evi¬ 
dence is equally mandatory. Criminal action may also 
be desirable in many other cases. 
Whenever substantial damage has resulted to the 
national forest, however, the desirability of instituting 
civil suit must be considered; and, if the trespasser is a 
forest user, whether administrative action shall be taken. 
In some cases civil or administrative action may be in 
addition to criminal action, in others an alternative to the 
latter. Damage suits are only of value when the tres¬ 
passer has sufficient assets to satisfy a judgment, if 
obtained. Decision in respect to civil or administrative 
action lies with the supervisor or district forester. 
The trespass investigator must bear these facts in mind 
and make report on Form 874-20 to the supervisor imme¬ 
diately, or as soon as necessary data can be obtained, in 
all cases where civil or administrative action may be a 
possibility, in accordance with the Trespass Manual. 
In all cases involving criminal responsibility, however, 
he must protect his own work by proceeding with his 
investigation, pending further instructions, as energeti¬ 
cally as if no other action were possible. 
Criminal action .—Actions brought under Federal 
statutes, or regulations of the Department of Agriculture, 
