Examples of Recent Accomplishments Minerals management activities significantly increased over the previous year. Renewed interest in prospecting for uranium, silver, copper, molybdenum, and gold prompted the staking of many hundreds of claims on National Forest lands during the year. Occupancy trespass cases received increasing attention. Only a few new applications under the Mining Claims Occupancy Act were received, but action was completed on over 100 cases. Income from mineral leasing on acquired lands increased nearly $800,000 over 1968 receipts. Mining claims. A total of 2,300 mining claims were examined for compliance with the mining laws during fiscal year 1969. In addition, management of surface resources was coordinated on 17,521 claims covering over 438,000 acres. There were 84 patent applications, involving 556 claims, pending at the close of calendar year 1968. Actions on 177 claims were completed during this period; 23 claims (9 applications) aggregating 1,092 acres were patented during the calendar year. Action in compliance with the Church-Johnson Mining Claims Occupancy Act continued with particular emphasis in the California Region. As of July 1, 1969, a total of 409 cases involved National Forest System lands. Of the 314 cases completed to date, fee title was offered in 52 cases, a lease offered in 113 cases, 7 were issued Forest Service special-use permits and 126 were rejected because applicants were not qualified. In addition, 226 geologic investigations in connection with land exchanges, recreation areas, road construction, bridge location, and damsites were conducted which required 9,215 man-hours. Mineral leases and permits. There are nearly 17,000 mineral leases and permits on about 16 million acres of National Forest System lands. There are 262 prospecting permits which are estimated to cover nearly 1 million acres. Included are 7,027 oil and gas leases which required Forest Service action during the year, 3,506 on public domain forest land and 3,521 on acquired lands. Leases for other minerals total 341, with 74 on public domain lands. Hardrock leases on acquired lands aggregate 267. There are 1,330 leases for mineral materials, with 1,167 on public domain forest land. In addition, there were 1,579 free-use permits issued for over 20 million tons of mineral materials, mainly sand and gravel. There are 691 mineral reservations and rights outstanding, aggregating about 200,000 acres, which are being operated. Total revenue from mineral leases and permits on National Forest System acquired lands amounted to $5,441,284 in fiscal year 1969. In addition, it is estimated that nearly $22 million in revenues were received from rents and royalties for leases on National Forests and National Grasslands reserved from the public domain. These receipts are distributed as follows: 52.5 percent goes to the reclamation fund, 37.5 percent to the State in which the leased land is located, and 10 percent to the Treasury as miscellaneous receipts. Mine or well-head value of minerals produced from National Forest lands during fiscal year 1969 was estimated to be approximately $103,000,000. Supervision of exploration activities assures a minimum of surface disturbance and the application of conservation measures that benefits both the private mining claimant and the public interest. These activities are subject to supervision and guidance under mineral leasing laws. Figure 6 A decrease of $150,000 is proposed due to the need to hold Federal expenditures to a minimum. Subactivities of this program are identified below. (1) Land Classification ($400,000) The function is to structure and recommend programs concerning the scope, location and composition of the National Forest System that will most effectively help accomplish national objectives for rural areas. Purposes and activities are to: (a) Improve the land base to help meet current and prospective public (b) Enhance the capabilities of recreation, timber, range forage, water, (c) Increase watershed protection and betterment. (d) Promote stability and encourage growth of communities in and about National Forest areas. (e) Facilitate more economical administration of public land programs. Financing at the level indicated is essential to meeting pressing needs for: (a) Selection and detailed analyses of areas within the National Forests (b) Determining and achieving sound transfers of Federal land to or from Demands for the use of land grow yearly. The increasingly urbanized society with its current prospective growths in population, increased leisure, urban pressures for outdoor space, more frequent water supply crises for heavily populated centers, large programs of water control projects having high public recreation potential, and better roads and other access generate heavy pressures on the existing land bases. This affects public lands, especially the National Forest System which, in many areas, not only receive heavy public and private use but includes valuable resources and outstanding natural beauty. There is need to continually assess the location and extent of the National Forest System components and the direction land use and ownership patterns should take in relation to changing situations resulting from these diverse factors. The 154 National Forests and 19 National Grasslands located in 44 States and Puerto Rico include more than 40 million acres of non-Federal land. Programs for consolidations of landownership within existing boundaries of these units need to be based upon sound consideration of both longtime effects on tributary areas and practicalities in order to: (a) Protect the public and private stake in watershed, forest and (b) Provide for expanding communities and industries. Water-oriented recreational use of land at or near Federal reservoirs has assumed large proportions and often is a significant economic factor in the locality. There is an interdepartmental agreement on management of land at Department of the Army reservoir projects and legislation to enable transfers of land at Bureau of Reclamation projects where such projects are located within or adjoin National Forests. Stepped-up action concerning land jurisdiction at more than two dozen reservoirs in and about National Forests must be continued to avoid duplication of plans and programs, take advantage of existing National Forest organizations, and assure timely and economical development of recreation and land use facilities. Elsewhere, expanded activity in transfers of public land jurisdiction based upon joint studies with the National Park Service or Bureau of Land Management is called for in the interest of more economical or effective public and private service. The land classification program for fiscal year 1971 will be concerned with several million acres of forest, watershed, and recreation lands in the areas of the National Forest System. It will also be concerned with the management and programs for such lands from the national, regional, and local standpoints. Involved will be: (a) Consolidation of landownership. (b) National Forest adjustments to exclude lands where National Forest programs are no longer justified and to include areas where such programs for conservation of resources and improved rural economies would be in the national and local interest. (c) Proposals for establishment of National Recreation Areas. (d) New National Forest programs for the Potomac River. (e) Questions of interagency adjustments in land jurisdiction involving national parks and monuments and other Federal lands in and about the National Forest System. Examples of Recent Accomplishments An intensive study of natural resources in the drainage of the Big South Fork of the Cumberland River in Kentucky and Tennessee was submitted to the Congress by a team including members of the Corps of Engineers, Department of the Interior and Department of Agriculture. The study presented as alternatives analyses of six different development programs which are feasible for the river and adjoining areas, including an expanded National Forest. The proposed programs were designed to increase economic activity in this economically depressed section of rural America. Studies of forested rural land in southern Ohio and Indiana were completed and will serve as a basis for extending and retracting National Forest boundaries. The adjustments in boundaries will allow for consolidation of National Forest ownership in areas where cooperative efforts for developing and protecting watersheds are being worked out with local organizations and, as a result of such efforts, many outdoor recreation opportunities are being provided to many of the millions of urban residents living within easy driving distance. Adjustments of boundaries will help the States and forest product firms to consolidate ownerships and also make valuable contributions to the local economies through better management of recreation and forest resources along with the National Forest. Numerous interdepartmental transfers of land jurisdiction were accomplished in the interest of economical and efficient management of public land programs. Examples: (a) A Department of the Army and Department of Agriculture interchange (b) Transfer to the Ashley National Forest and extension of its boundary In order to better conform National Forest boundary locations with foreseeable needs for National Forest programs, boundaries were extended to include an additional 153,000 acres and retracted to exclude 74,000 acres. (2) Land Exchange ($3,095,000, a reduction of $50,000) Properly conceived land exchanges result in alleviating the need to construct certain road segments, the location and marking of property lines, the issuance of certain special-use permits, and other management costs. The consolidation of ownership achieved in 1967 a 10-year cost avoidance conservatively estimated to be at a ratio of $1.50 for every dollar spent in planning, negotiating, and accomplishing a land exchange. Selected examples of estimated cost avoidance which will result during the next 10 years, from the fiscal year 1971 exchange program, are: Material revenue increases to the United States Treasury can also result through well planned exchanges. Access road problems can be eliminated and make heretofore inaccessible mature timber stands available for harvest to the mutual benefit of the United States and timber companies in need of timber supplies. The rural economy can also be benefited. Significant benefits can be realized for both the United States and private owners engaged in livestock operations through the consolidation of ownerships, thus reducing costs and improving management of the ranges. Carefully designed land exchanges can make material contributions in bettering rural America and the communities located within or near the boundaries of the National Forest System. Farmers and ranchers operating marginal operations can frequently acquire the adjoining National Forest System lands suitable for grazing, thus permitting development of an economic unit. Communities are frequently aided through exchanges that provide lands for expansion and development. |