6 Circular 211, Dept. of Agriculture 
The original act made no provision for administer- 
ing the reserves, and the withdrawal of land involved 
from all forms of settlement met with vigorous dis- 
approval, especially in the West’ where the reserves 
were situated. These defects, however, were largely 
removed by Congress on June 4, 1897, in a law outlin- 
ing a system of organization and management for the 
reserves and placing their administration under the 
Secretary of the Interior. The American national 
forest system really dates from the passage of that act. 
Government administration of the reserves soon 
made apparent the necessity for scientific forestry, 
to make their use general. It was the duty of the 
Secretary of the Interior to prescribe regulations 
which would insure the fulfillment of the objects 
aimed at in creating the reserves. Timber cutting 
must provide for the growing of a new timber crop. 
Unrestricted grazing had seriously injured the range; 
it was necessary to devise methods for increasing the 
forage crop. Both timber use and grazing use must 
be so managed that water supplies would be main- 
tained and bettered. All the resources of the forests 
needed to be given careful consideration and plans de- 
vised for their best development. Without such plans 
little of the value of the forests to the public could 
be secured. Technical problems were involved which 
the officials of the Interior Department felt to be out- 
side their province. They therefore at first requested 
the aid of the experts of the Department of Agricul- 
ture as advisers, and soon recommended the transfer 
of administration of the reserves to the latter depart- 
ment. 
This transfer took place in 1905. In 1907 the name 
“forest reserves’ was changed to ‘““national forests,” 
by act of Congress; to indicate that their resources 
are not locked up as ‘‘reserves” for a distant future. 
National forests are under Government management 
for the purpose of securing sound economic and in- 
dustrial development of large areas of timberland in 
the best interests of all, which experience has shown 
can not be equally attained under private ownership.