to stabilize some 400 miles of eroding stream channels and abandoned roads. Increased attention will be given to measured water yield improvement on selected watersheds where water supply is a dominant feature of multiple-use management. Soil surveys will be accelerated and needed soils management interpretation will be provided to a larger number of land management projects. (9) An increase of $1,200,100 for mineral claims, leases, and other land uses. This item covers six land administration activities, each of which is handled as an identifiable program, and each of which is an essential part of a balanced program. The six items are: (a) mineral claims administration, surface rights determination, mineral claims and leases; (b) special land use administration; (c) land exchange and land ownership adjustment; (d) land status records; (e) land classification activities; and (f) land line locations. The increase would be used as follows: (a) $220,000 to bring the administration and supervision of mineral leases, mining claims, and special uses up to more satisfactory standards (items (a) and (b) above). These activities, which vitally affect the management of the national forest system under the principles of multiple use, have long been underfinanced, and a higher standard of management is urgently needed. Specifically involved are: Supervision of the issuance and operation of mineral leases on acquired and public domain lands administered by the Forest Service. Such leases cover over 13 million acres and receipts credited to the national forest system are over $1,250,000 for acquired lands, and an estimated $8 million is collected by the Bureau of Land Management for public lands administered by the Forest Service. It is essential that careful thoughts be given to multiple use management before leases are issued, and to protection of the surface resources from the mining operation. The Forest Service acts on acquired land leases and advises the Bureau of Land Management on public domain leases. This work often requires extensive field investigation and negotiations with applicants regarding stipulations necessary to protect Government-owned land and resources. Status records showing the mineral ownership on some 20 million acres of acquired lands. Some of these minerals are very valuable and it is necessary to have accurate ownership records so that the property of the United States may be fully protected. This work often requires careful and time-consuming search of title records. It may also involve litigation. Supervision of operations on privately owned mineral rights on lands where the United States owns the surface. Millions of acres of acquired lands are involved and it is necessary that the surface rights of the United States be protected from operations by the owners of privately owned minerals, so that unauthorized destruction of land and resources may be prevented. Investigation of several thousand occupancy problems connected with mining claims so that unauthorized uses and occupancy may be terminated. Closer supervision of the 58,000 special use permits under which many varied private uses are permitted on national-forest land. Special use permits have increased steadily at about 2 percent per year. Revenues from these uses amount to over $1,300,000. Close supervision is necessary to insure that these uses are properly coordinated with the management objectives of the national forests. In addition to this increase it is planned to finance some of the continually increasing mineral and mining claim activities such as mining claim trespass, technical examination of claims for patent applications, leasing of minerals, and the valuation of mineral resources with appropriated funds made available for determination of surface rights of mining claims pursuant to the act of July 23. 1955 (Public Law 84-167). This will be done as required by the changing job load for the latter activity. (b) $290,000 for carrying on an accelerated program of land exchange and landownership adjustment, initiated in fiscal year 1958, to consolidate and adjust the national forest ownership pattern for more efficient and economical administration. Studies of land adjustment needs indicate some 11⁄2 million acres of national-forest lands should be exchanged. With this increase, it is planned in fiscal year 1962 to consummate negotiations on pending exchanges involving approximately 150,000 acres of land to be conveyed by the United States and about an equal acreage of lands to be received by the United States. It is also planned to conduct initial negotiations and to appraise and report on an estimated additional 500,000 acres of land. This will increase, by at least 50 percent, the rate of accomplishment possible under the current financing. (c) $170,000 for land status records. Land ownership and land status records are inadequate to meet the needs of field offices in protecting the interests of the Government and in planning for expanding national forest resource uses. A revised records-keeping system has been devolped and is being pilot-tested in two regions. It is almost ready for installation in all Forest Service regions. The increase will expedite this installation and provide for current maintenance of such records as installed. (d) $105,100 for land classification. Population and land values have increased in all national forest localities. Uses of and demands on wild lands are increasing. Land uses change as do economic conditons in related areas. These factors require that the Forest Service give close study to the complex problems related to defining areas that might better serve the needs of the Nation if excluded from or included in the national forest system. These problems, related to changing populations, changing land use patterns, varying economic and social needs and demands and resource conditions, require continuing attention to establish and keep up to date appropriate policies and guidelines. It is planned that a small staff addition, at regional and key forest levels, would be made to meet this need. (e) $415,000 for accelerating the land line location program initiated in fiscal year 1958 to search for, properly identify, and perpetuate property and other land line courses; to obtain proper reestablishment of "lost" corners; and to survey and mark property lines between national forest and non-Federal lands. Increased land values, land uses, and other ownership factors make it imperative that this work be speeded up. With this increase the fiscal year 1962 objective will be to examine and evaluate 24,000 corners, monument and record 8,000 corners, and survey, mark, and paint 400 miles of property lines. (10) An increase of $3,100,000 to strengthen the basic fire control organization, which must be done to reduce the high cost and large losses of valuable resources of the disastrous fires of the past 2-years. This increase will be a material move toward meeting the needs of adequate protection on the national forests. This would add to the permanently financed air-attack program for dropping retardant chemicals by providing additional tanker bases and move firmly in staffing a number of bases now in use in western States. The increase would strengthen the fire-prevention program in response to the problem of an increasing number of man-caused fires and the marked buildup in use of the forests. The program would include new development and adaptations of present equipment, particularly for the application of retardant chemicals. Initial attack would be strengthened by additional small crews, totaling about 600 men and 12 helicopters (under commercial contract), for rapid attack on small fires to keep them from reaching large size. Five larger highly mobile crews would be provided for rapid air transportation throughout the West to reinforce fire-fighting forces when initial attack fails. This increase would also make it possible to better meet the protection needs of 525,679 acres of Klamath Indians forest land which is in process of becoming national forest land. (11) An increase of $1,927,000 in structural improvements for fire and general purposes would be used: (a) To step up the level of maintaining improvements by $650,000. This will bring financing of the total estimated maintenance cost of $5,600,000 to about 90 percent of annual needs compared with the current level of about 78 percent. (b) $1,098,000 along with $5,415,000 of currently available funds, or a total of $6,513,000, would be used to construct about 120 housing units plus urgently needed service buildings, related improvements, and communication systems. This includes $300,000 to complete the air-to-ground radio communications for forest fire control operations. (c) $179,000 for leasing of new office space needed for expanding program activities at some 25 locations. At these locations the General Services Administration does not have available space facilities and would have to contract for the additional space. In keeping with Bureau of the Budget instructions, the added funds for the new space requirements which result from expanding Forest Service programs are proposed as an increase to this program appropriation, rather than as an appropriation increase to GSA. After the new leases are negotiated and the space occupied, it is contemplated that fund transfers will be made to GSA and thereafter that agency would be responsible for providing the space and securing continuing appropriations therefor. This assumes approval of the authority for such transfers proposed in the 1962 budget estimates for GSA. It is also planned to use $30,000 of available funds for additional improve ments at the Aerial Fire Depot at Missoula, Mont. The act of October 24, 1951 (Public Law 198) authorized an appropriation of $970,000 for acquisition of land and construction of a fire control smoke jumper headquarters, air cargo supply base, and other facilities at Missoula, Mont. The Third Supplemental Appropriation Act, 1952 (Public Law 375), approved June 5, 1952, appropriated $700,000 for these forest fire control facilities but specified that this amount should be the full cost of land and construction of facilities contemplated by the act of October 24, 1951. Subsequent to the construction described above, additional needs for buildings and other facilities at Missoula have developed. It is planned, in fiscal year 1962, to use about $30,000 of total available funds primarily for construction of additional airplane taxiways and service facilities for the aerial fire depot at Missoula, Mont. There will be similar needs in future years to meet the expanding aerial fire control program including the use of fire retardants. This would involve such items as mixing plants and storage facilities for fire retardants, additional storage and office space, airplane hangar, supplemental well and water system, radio station and repair shop, and other related facilities. The Service plans to finance such future developments from funds appropriated for "Structural improvements for fire and general purposes" and under the appropriation language authority for "purchase, erection, and alteration of buildings and other public improvements.' (12) An increase of $2,150,200 for control of spruce budworm in Montana, Idaho, Colorado, New Mexico, and Minnesota, and for control of jackpine budworm in Minnesota, Michigan, and Wisconsin. The original 1962 budget provided $530,000 for budworm control, and the justifications indicated that this amount was substantially below estimated needs. The revised budget provides an additional $2 million. This amount plus the $530,000 contained in the original estimate would be used for control of spruce budworm ($2,430,000) and jackpine budworm ($100,000) as outlined below. (a) Spruce budworm is epidemic on some 8 million acres of fir and spruce forests along the Continental Divide of the Rocky Mountains from Montana to New Mexico and on 2 million acres of balsam fir and spruce in northern Minnesota. Surveys in the fall of 1960 disclosed the budworm situation on 1.8 million acres to be sufficiently serious that control to avoid heavy mortality and growth losses would have been desirable in the spring of 1961. Because other urgent infestations required treatment with funds then available it was decided to defer control on budworm projects until the spring of 1962. Because control was deferred it now becomes urgent to treat the 1.8 million acres plus about 600,000 acres into which the infestation probably will spread. Timber values estimated at $33 million are threatened by these attacks. The following control projects are planned: (1) Montana-on Deerlodge, Helena, and Lewis and Clark National Forests- (2) Idaho-on Challis and Salmon National Forests. (3) Colorado-on Pike, Rio Grande, and San Juan National Forests (4) New Mexico-on Carson and Santa Fe National Forests and Navajo Indian Reservation__ $500,000 300, 000 630, 000 800, 000 200, 000 2, 430,000 (5) Minnesota-on Superior National Forest---. Subtotal--- State Most of the timber infested with spruce budworm is federally owned. and private participation in control on such interspersed and adjoining lands is anticipated. (b) Jackpine budworm in Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan. Control is needed on 90,000 acres of infested plantations and natural stands of jackpine. An estimated 310,000 cords of pulpwood valued at $1.8 million is threatened by this epidemic. The following control projects are planned: (1) Minnesota-Chippewa National Forest (mostly Federal lands)---- $35, 000 (2) Wisconsin-Chequamegon National Forest and including a cooperative project on State and private lands____ (3) Michigan-Upper Michigan and Ottawa National Forests and adjoining private lands_-_ Subtotal----- 50,000 15,000 100, 000 Participation of State and private owners in control on non-Federal lands is anticipated. FOREST RESEARCH (13) A net increase of $1 million in Forest and range management research is made up of: Increase for specific research programs. Net increase__. $1,400, 000 -400, 000 1, 000, 000 The program increase of $1,400,000 would consist of the following: (a) An increase of $600,000 for forest management research would be applied to problems of intensified timber management where the need for such work is the most pressing. To accelerate progress in the reforestation of the millions of acres of brushfields and poorly stocked forest land, research on the control of brush would be expanded, with emphasis on the physiological action of chemical herbicides in relation to kinds of brush and time of application and on other methods of site preparation. To further insure success of reforestation, research would be increased on the control of damage to young trees by animals, and would be aimed particularly at the development of systemic repellants and at the manipulation of forest vegetation. Additional research would be directed at developing better methods of sampling and measuring natural and intensively managed timber stands in order to estimate gross growth and potential losses, information needed in the development of stepped-up timber production programs. Forest genetics research, designed to make new and better trees available for forest managers, would be expanded at the three forest genetics institutes. Special attention would be given to techniques of vegetative propagation, evaluation of new hybrids and the potential of selected superior trees, and factors affecting reproductive processes. Research would be strengthened to provide information leading to improved forest practices in such forest regions as Alaska, the true fir types of the West, the shelterbelt area of the Midwest, the extensive pine plantations of the South, and mountain hardwood forests in the East. (b) An increase of $310,000 for range and wildlife habitat research would be used mainly in the West to strengthen both basic and applied research on range problems of domestic livestock and big game. Development of improved cattle and sheep grazing management practices for high range watersheds of the western national forests would receive special attention. Studies of improvement and management of brush infested ranges in California and Arizona would be strengthened along with methods for managing cutover areas to provide optimum conditions for both forage production and estblishment of timber reproduction. Also research on management of annual vegetation on ranges in Idaho and California would be given increased emphasis. Site evaluation and type conversion studies would be strengthened in Missouri. Methods for improving food and cover on key wildlife areas and for managing wildlife habitat would be studied in the Lake States, South and the Southeast, particularly the phases dealing with an attempt to gain better integration of wildlife and timber production. (c) An increase of $155,000 would be used to strengthen forest recreation research. Special emphasis would be given to studies leading to better management and improvement of forest camp grounds, as well as prevention of damage to forest areas subject to heavy public use. Also included would be studies to determine carrying capacity and optimum distribution of use in wilderness areas; on development of techniques for measuring and classifying forest recreation use, and coordination of such use with timber, forage, and water production. Studies relating to services and charges for recreation facilities and projection of future demands for forest recreation would be strengthened. (d) An increase of $335,000 would be used on watershed mangement research. This increase would provide for some strengthening of watershed management research in each major forest region with emphasis on the most pressing problems. Some of the studies would deal with problems of how to carry out logging on moderate to steep slopes without causing serious soil erosion and impairment of quality of water yield. Other studies would be concerned with how different patterns of timber harvesting affect timing and quantity of water yield with the object of increasing such yield in harmony with good forest management practices. Research leading to the protection of soil and water values during coal and other strip-mining operations in the Appalachian uplands would also be expanded and would include improved methods of rehabilitating mined areas following the extraction process. Studies would also be strengthened in wetland forest areas of the coastal plain in the Southeast to develop methods of controlling surface and subsurface water and thereby improve the soil productivity. (e) A decrease of $400,000 in nonrecurring portions of the emergency research program on the San Dimas Experimental Forest, southern California, which was started in fiscal year 1961 with a supplemental appropriation of $500,000. To continue this program, in subsequent years, will require $100,000 annually for measuring, recording, and analyzing the effects of the experimental treatments which have been started, in terms of soil erosion control and flood hazard reduction, improved water yields and reduced fire hazard. (14) An increase of $320,000 in forest fire research would be used to strengthen basic laboratory and field studies of forest fire behavior as affected by different combinations and current weather, fuels, and topography. Such research would lead to improved guides for quickly evaluating local fire conditions, deciding on the action needed to meet the impending fire threat with minimum costs and losses and preventing loss of life. Research in firefighting methods would be expanded with strong emphasis on techniques and devices to help ground firefighters control at small size those fires that now defy attack and escape to become conflagrations. Stronger emphasis would also be placed on development of aerial firefighting techniques and study of improved firefighting chemicals as well as other new systems. It would also speed basic research on the formation of lightning storms and methods for dissipating them to reduce the number of fires caused by lightning. More effective means of assuring speedy discovery of fires by radar, electronic techniques, and other new principles would be studied. (15) An increase of $425,000 for forest insect research would be used to strengthen programs of basic and applied research on the prevention or control of destructive forest insects in each of the major forest regions of the country. including Alaska. Emphasis would be placed on studies of biological control factors, including insect parasites, predators, and insect-pathogens. Environmental factors that may be conducive to the development of outbreaks or their prevention would also be studied. In the West and South, greater efforts would be placed on studies of the biology, ecology, and control of bark beetles and defoliating insects, and on insects destructive of the seeds and cones of trees. Because of the expanded tree-planting program in the eastern half of the country, studies would also be strengthened on insects that cause deformation and damage to forest plantations in the East, South, and Midwest. Studies would be expanded on insects that seriously degrade hardwoods in the South and Midwest; and on insects destructive of forest products in the South. (16) An increase of $425.000 for forest disease research would be used: (a) To intensify research leading to control of fusiform rust, currently the most serious disease of southern pines. (b) To expand research on Fomes annosus, a root rot fungus that has only recently assumed dangerous proportions in coniferous plantations. So far damage from this fungus is concentrated in the South and Northeast but it is potentially capable of threatening the success of reforestation and afforestation programs nationwide. (c) To strengthen research on the ecology and interrelations of forest soil microorganisms. Such information is basic to determining the causes of root diseases and the development of methods of controlling them. These are especially destructive to coniferous forests. (d) To conduct basic research on little-understood vascular diseases which are particularly damaging to hardwood species and are now largely uncontrolled. |