The new eastern National Forests xlvii I THE CREATION AND ORGANIZATION OF THE NATIONAL FORESTS 1 Economic Conditions Which Led to Forest Conservation 1 Prodigality leads finally to conservation 1 The march of forest destruction 2 Our lumber and water supply imperiled 5 The First Steps in Federal Forest Conservation 6 The upbuilding of the West 6 The Lake States first to act 7 The first federal steps 8 The Act of August 16, 1876 9 Further work under the Act 11 The First Forest Reserves Established March 30, 1891 12 The situation before 1891 12 The need of the forest policy 13 The Act of March 3, 1891 14 An Anomalous Condition--Forest Reserves Without Forest Administration 14 The Need of Administration on the Reserves 14 More Reserves created 16 The Administration of the Reserves Under the General Land Office 16 The Act of June 4, 1897 16 The Division of Forestry in 1898 18 The Bureau of Forestry 19 The Consolidation of the Forestry Work in the Department of Agriculture in 1905 19 The Act of February 1, 1905 19 Early forestry education and literature 20 Changes in the Forest Service personnel 21 More National Forests created 21 The growth of the Forest Service 22 Recent modifications in the organization 23 The Present Organization of the Forest Service 24 The administrative districts 24 The Washington office 26 The district offices 28 II THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE NATIONAL FORESTS 30