22 Circular 211, Dept. of Agriculture 
by the Bureau of Public Roads. The numerous road 
improvement and repair projects required primarily 
for administrative and protective needs on the na- 
tional forests, together with trail building and main- 
tenance, are handled directly by the Forest Service 
and coordinated with fire control as far as possible so 
that construction crews may be available in remote 
areas of great fire hazard as part of the fire-suppression 
organization. Twenty-five per cent of all receipts 
from national forests are given to the counties in which 
they lie, to be used for schools and roads. Under one 
of the acts of Congress 10 per cent is expended by the 
Secretary of Agriculture upon roads and trails con- 
structed primarily for the benefit of settlers within the 
forests. . 
For the complete and economical use of the forage 
on the forests it is sometimes necessary to develop 
water or to construct drift fences, bridges, trails, or 
other works. The Forest Service allots funds for 
their construction only when the benefit to the forest 
plainly warrants the expenditure. The use of funds 
for these purposes can often be made more effective 
if the assistance and cooperation of interested stock- 
men can be secured. Requests for cooperation should 
be addressed to the nearest forest officer. 
PROTECTION OF THE NATIONAL FORESTS 
FIRE DANGER 
Fire is an ever-present danger on the national 
forests. The great size of the forests compared with 
the size of the patrolling foree, the difficulty of reach- 
ing remote areas across miles of wilderness, the dry 
air and light rainfall in parts of the West, the preva- 
lence of lightning in the mountains, and the constant 
use of fire in the daily life of the people and in the 
industries all combine to make the hazard exceptional. 
Among the chief causes of fire are lightning, campers, 
smokers, railroads, slash burning, incendiarism, and 
steam sawmille.