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Show UTAH FORESTS M 10 TOURIST TOIL Federal Service Aids in Attracting At-tracting Pleasure Seekers to State. IMPROVING HIGHWAYS Regions for Summer Vacations Vaca-tions Made More Attractive Attract-ive and Available. In addition to turning over to the state of Utah annually a sum which has amounted to more than $4S,000 each of the past two years for equal division di-vision for county roads and county schools in proportion to the amount of forest land in the respective counties, the United States forestry service in Utah is heartily enlisted in the campaign cam-paign to bring tourists by trains and by motor to Utah to visit, camp and enjoy en-joy the natural beauties of the extensive exten-sive forest reserves within the state. The forest service is well equipped and is furthermore eager, according to its Utah otlicersj to render the highest degree of service to the tourists and travelers during the vacation mouths. The service is extending its work this year to assisting those asking information informa-tion in helping to plan enjoyable trips and outings in the reserves in Utah. The object is to interest the American public to the scenic attractions, fishing, hunting and similar opportunities for enjoyment within Uncle Sam's domains. Grazing Value Increases. The most important commercial use of the forest reserves at the present time is for the grazing of livestock owned within the slate borders. The importance of this feature is well indicated in-dicated by the announcement of the Utah state land board the past week that so valuable is grazing land becoming becom-ing that it is found necessary to double the minimum annual grazing fee per acre on state land from the former price of 5 cents per acre to 10 cents per acre. On one occasion where there were competitive .bids in Cnche county some time ago as high as 47 cents an acre was bid for the grazing privilege on state lands. The fees from the state lands go to the credit of -the fund of the institution in the name of which the land is held. At, the present time 9j00 farmers, ranchers and stock growers of Utah are using forest ranges in the state to graze more than 225,000 head of cattle and horses and over 1,000,000 head of sheep under rules made to insure maximum maxi-mum benefit to the stock without depletion de-pletion of the resources of the reserves in any manner. Much Work Done. Within the boundaries of Utah, according ac-cording to figures from the Railroad Bed Book, there are situated in whole or in part eleven national forests. The total area is about 7,500,000 acres. Even those who grant the wonderful industrial resources of these forests have not, until this year, fully realized what can be accomplished by judicious advertising ad-vertising of the recreational advantages and attractions of these reserves to bring to Utah thousands of tourists who hitherto have been visitinfr less attractive at-tractive but better advertisBjl places. In order to encourage tourist traffic in every possible manner the forestry oftieials'are eo-onerating with the state road officials in the construction of highways, high-ways, making accessible and enjoyable trips into their deep and restful recesses. re-cesses. To June 30, 1916, the time of the publication of the last official data, the forest service had constructed 307 miles of road, 7S2 miles of trails, 9S9 miles of telephone lines, ninety-four dwellings dwell-ings for field officers, fifty-nine barns, 115 other administrative site buildings, 141 miles of pasture fences, forty-three water development projects for administrative admin-istrative site purposes, 135 miles of drift and division fences aud 140 water development de-velopment projects to facilitate the handling of the immense numbers of livestock using the forest ranges. The value of these improvements is estimated esti-mated at $300,000. Summer Homesites Leased. On all these forests there are many excellent sites for homes, with every requisite for the most healthful and pleasant vacations. Leases for summer home sites arc now granted by the forest for-est service for long terms with reasonable reason-able charges, and there is a rapidly increasing in-creasing demand each year tor such sites. , There are also areas available for municipal camp sites, for exclusive use of outing clubs, camp fire associations and similar organizations. The forest supervisors located at Salt Lake City, Provo, Vernal, Logan, Richfield, Rich-field, Safina, Panguitch, Kauab, -St. George, Kscalante," Moab and Kphraim are now preparing to send out information infor-mation solicited ,bv automobile parties and others from all parts of the United States who contemplate spending a Test-ful Test-ful vacation in the forests of Utah. |
