was held to be valid by the hearings officer. The records will also show that the road does not cross the Ramble Shaft placer which was held invalid. The impression was given at Roseburg that the Bureau and the Department had not acted promptly in connection with the proceedings involving Mr. Craget's mining claims. The records which I have given the committee will show the following: A 2-day hearing was held in Roseburg on October 28 and 29, 1954, before Hearings Officer Robert Felton, and 285 pages of testimony were taken. The decision of the hearings officer was rendered on February 17, 1955. On March 2, 1955, Mr. Craget's attorneys filed a motion for a new trial on the ground of newly discovered evidence. On March 23, 1955, the hearings officer set aside his decision of February 17, 1955, on the ground of newly discovered evidence and granted a rehearing. At the request of Mr. Craget's attorneys the rehearing was delayed until July 8, 1955. On June 22, 1955, Mr. Craget's attorneys requested postponement of the hearings to be held on July 8 because Mr. Dimick, attorney for Mr. Craget, had become ill. On June 27, 1955, the rehearing was postponed from July 8, 1955, until October 27, 1955. On September 29, 1955, Mr. Craget's attorney requested postponement of the October 27 hearing on the ground that Mr. Craget was ill. The request for postponement was again granted and the hearing was rescheduled for Febru ary 9, 1956. On February 7, 1956, the hearing was canceled and the contest withdrawn because the winter floods and recent development work by the claimants had disclosed minerals on the claims to such an extent that the Bureau was not warranted in further contesting the claims. In conclusion, it should be pointed out that the Department of the Interior and the Bureau of Land Management are charged under the law with the responsibility of enforcing the mining laws. In recent years the Bureau has been frequently criticized for not bringing more contests to determine the validity of questionable mining claims which were blocking access to Government timber, particularly while there was no mining activity on the claims and no satisfactory showing of mineralization of the ground. In the Craget case there are several million board-feet of Government timber that cannot be harvested until access across the Craget mining claims are obtained. When this fact was brought to our attention and when the assays of the 6 samples taken from the claims did not show a discovery of minerals, the Bureau had no choice but to bring a proceeding to determine the validity of Mr. Craget's unpatented mining claim. However, after recent development work and the winter floods disclosed that the claims were mineralized, the the contest against the claim was withdrawn. STATE SUPERVISOR, Bureau of Land Management, DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE, Portland, Oreg. DEAR SIR: Attached are three copies each of the appraisal estimates for Rock Creek Road and East Fork of Rock Creek Road. These estimates are the composite estimates of estimating engineers Messrs. Davis, Fogelquist and Struble, for which field reconnaissance data was taken in November 1955. We trust they will furnish the information you desire in working out settlements with the various private road owners. Very truly yours, F. E. ANDREWS, Engineer, Federal Construction. Appraisal estimate, East Fork Rock Creek Road-Point of beginning, upper end ? Valuation across O. and C. land (23.82 percent), $25,570. NOTE.-Date of field appraisal, Nov. 8, 1955. Compiled by W. C. Struble, Dec. 5, 1955. Appraisal estimate, Rock Creek Road-Point of beginning, upper end of road, T. 25 S., R. 2 W., sec. 2, at foot of steep grade NOTE.-Date of field appraisal Nov. 8, 1955. Compiled by W. C. Struble Dec. 5, 1955. (The maps accompanying the statement are filed with the committee.) WESTERN FORESTRY & CONSERVATION ASSOCIATION, Mr. WILLIAM H. COBURN, Chief Counsel, Subcommittee on the Legislative Oversight United States Senate, Washington, D. C. DEAR BILL: I have received your letter of the 14th announcing the Joint Committee on Federal Timber hearings on Tuesday, February 21, in Washington. I very much appreciate your sending me this notice and only regret that I cannot be present at the hearings, as I would like to sit in on them. I will write the Department heads for a copy of their statement and review these to determine whether or not Western Forestry will see fit to file supplemental statement within the 10-day period. As it now stands, I know of nothing we can add to the statements already made that would in any way clarify the forest administrative situation in the West or would be of help to the committee. I am enclosing copies of several resolutions adopted at the western forestry conference in December, which pertain particularly to subjects within the scope of the joint committee's investigations. I would like to have these included in the record of the hearings. These resolutions express the decisions of the conference and are representative of a cross section of the forest industries and the landowners in the Western States. If there is any way in which we can cooperate further with the committee and help them with their studies, please do not hesitate to call upon us. With kindest personal regards. Sincerely, STUART MOIR, Forest Counsel. RESOLUTIONS ADOPTED AT 46TH WESTERN FORESTRY CONFERENCE, PORTLAND, OREG., DECEMBER 9, 1955 2. FOREST-FIRE RESEARCH Whereas forest-fire losses continue to rob the people and forest industries of a major resource; and Whereas in 1955 forest-fire losses in many parts of the West reached catastrophic levels; and Whereas science has made great strides in many fields that can be of aid in forest-fire control: Therefore be it Resolved, That the Western Forestry & Conservation Association favors a greatly accelerated program of fire research by the Forest Service experiment stations, industry, and State agencies. 3. FIRE WEATHER FORECASTING Whereas adequate fire weather forecasting is of the utmost importance in forest-fire control: Therefore be it Resolved, That the Western Forestry & Conservation Association urge the United States Weather Bureau to: (1) Cooperate with protection agencies in research designed to improve the accuracy of fire weather forecasting. (2) Continue and improve 24-hour forecasts. (3) Make 5-day forecasts originating not less than 3 times per week. (4) Develop long-range forecasts; all to be coordinated with fire seasons and needs of the respective States. 4. ALASKA FIRE CONTROL Whereas the Bureau of Land Management is responsible for protecting from fire more than 225 million acres of public-domain land in Alaska; and Whereas each year fires are destroying a billion feet of timber which will be sorely needed for the future development of Alaska, with emphasis on the pulp industry, and in addition causing untold damage to watersheds, soil, recreation, mining, transportation, fish life, and wildlife; and Whereas appropriations made by Congress are grossly inadequate to create and maintain a protection organization to meet, in an effective manner, the fireprevention and fire-control problems in the interior of Alaska; and Whereas a recent study made by competent and experienced foresters and firecontrol officers stationed in Alaska show that $1,500,000 is needed annually to create and maintain a protection organization able to meet the fire-control problems: Now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Western Forestry & Conservation Association urge the Secretary of the Interior, the Bureau of the Budget, and the appropriations committees to give favorable consideration to the providing of sufficient funds to protect adequately the natural resources of Alaska from forest and watershed fires. 5. PEST CONTROL Whereas losses in the form of tree mortality and retarded growth, caused by forest pests including insects, diseases, and animals, exceed losses caused by forest fires: Therefore be it Resolved, That to reduce these tremendous forest losses, all forest research agencies be urged to give greater attention to studies of these pests and development of control methods including silvicultural practices and management programs; and That moneys be made available through congressional and State action, and by affected landowners, for conducting current control programs commensurate with the recognized need; and That contingency funds be established to permit prompt and effective control of sudden nad unforeseen pest outbreaks. 6. FEDERAL FOREST MANAGEMENT Whereas the current demand for timber from Federal forest land in the Western States currently exceeds volumes sold each year; and Whereas full annual allowable cuts are not now being sold in all units; Now, therefore, the Western Forestry & Conservation Association supports the resolution of the forestry and grazing committee of the Association of Oregon Counties concerning proper management and increase to full allowable annual cuts of timber on national-forest lands. The association further recommends that communications be addressed to the proper Members of Congress, the Bureau of the Budget, and the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture, requesting that action be taken to bring about more intensive management and full productivity of Federal forest lands, including the O. and C. lands, by making adequate funds available for: (1) The development of current allowable cuts from up-to-date inventories. (2) The orderly development of access roads to presently inaccessible areas. (3) The hiring of adequate personnel for the preparation and administration of timber sales and other forest-management activities and for the proper housing of these personnel. (4) The orderly stocking of cut-over and burned-over areas and to minimize losses from fire, insects, and disease. 7. FOREST SURVEY Whereas the association recognizes that basic information relative to the acreage, volume, growth, use, and loss of the Nation's forest resource is necessary for orderly planning of the best use and management of that resource; and Whereas the forest survey provides basic information of this type and maintains forest inventory data in current form; and Whereas this activity has not kept pace with the growing demands for up-todate statistics, particularly in the West; Now, therefore, the association reaffirms its position expressed in previous resolutions that the forest survey be carried forward expeditiously; and further requests that the plan described by Assistant Secretary Peterson for a detailed reinventory of working circles be carried forward as planned: Therefore, be it Resolved, That the association urge an increase in congressional appropriations for these activities, nationwide, and that copies of this resolution be transmitted to the Secretary of Agriculture, Chief of the United States Forest Service, and others interested. (Whereupon, at 5:45 p. m., Wednesday, February 22, 1956, the. hearing was concluded.) |