FORESTRY IN AMERICA

Taupo Times, Volume I, Issue 22, 11 June 1952, Page 5

FORESTRY IN AMERICA

The National Reserves The United States has 152 national forests that are owned and adminstered by the Federal Government. These forests which embrace about 180,000,000 acres, are located in 40 of the 48 States and in the territories of Alaska and Puerto Rico. An attempt is made to maintain the principle '"use without abuse" so that national forests yield products of great value to the Nation at the same time that they are being protected and improved. Undor U.S. Forest Service supervision, commercial log gers are now cutting around 4,500 million board feet of timber in the national forests each year. This is about one-tenth of all the timber harvested in the United States. National forest timber is sold at appraised value or by competitive bid to the highest bidder, who cuts only those trces that foresters have designated for cutting. Many of the finest recreational areas in the United States are provided by the National Forest. Millions of Americans go to the forests each year to camp, picnic, hunt, fish, hike, swim, ski, climb mountains, ride horseback — or just to relax and enjoy the beauties of nature. The Forest Service maintains 4500 public camping grounds and picnic areas and 230 winter sports areas. More than 50,000 miles of forest roads are used by motorists and thousands of miles of trails by hikers and horseback riders. Hunters and fishermen may use the national forests so long as they ob~ serve State fish and game laws — the same restriction that applies to citizens who hunt or fish on private land.