Forest Trail Handbook

SECTION I—POLICY AND GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS

2.—RELATIVE NEEDS

In making many of the National Forests more accessible, the first and largest need is for ways and secondary trails. The second important, but less urgent, need is for primary trails. To maintain the present degree of accessibility by adequate upkeep of existing trails is more important as a general rule than the building of additional mileage.

3.—PROGRESS

The progress made in trail work will depend, first, on the amount of money available, and second, on the capacity of the available organization to direct and control such work properly.

4.—THE JOB

Trail location and construction is relatively a simple job. Money, proper workmanship, common sense, abundant energy, and simple tools and equipment are the only requisites to good work. The employment of location and supervising engineers and specially organized survey parties, and the use of precise methods involving technical practices such as accurate leveling, transit work, detailed field notes, and profile maps of location, have no place in the trail program.

5.—PLACE OF FOREST OFFICERS

Responsibility for selection of the projects, correct location, and adequate supervision must rest squarely upon the supervisor. Members of the regular forest organization or specialists designated by them will do at least the major part of the preliminary location work, and will give such supervision to crews as may be necessary to get the work done in accordance with established policy and practice.

6.—USE OF HANDBOOK

It is recognized that to prescribe rules or to outline methods of construction to cover all details, or to fit all the varying conditions encountered, is not possible. No attempt to do it has been made in this handbook. The points covered, and instructions given, are confined to the more obvious and major principles of trail construction. They are based on methods and principles which have proved their worth; furthermore, experience has proven their general applicability.

Field officers are not expected to memorize the contents of this handbook. It is expected, however, that they will always remember: First, the handbook is available; second, it is to be consulted and studied before starting a job; third, every man placed in charge of trail work will have a copy, supplemented by written instructions to indicate the parts of the handbook that are applicable to his job; fourth, the instructions it contains will govern on the job, unless physical conditions clearly prevent.

Burden of proof of inapplicability will always be upon the officer who is responsible for getting the work done. Officers should expect to be held personally responsible for unwarranted deviation.

7.—PURPOSES OF TRAILS

Trails will be maintained, reconstructed, and constructed in the interests of: (a) Fire control; (b) administration; (c) grazing; (d) recreation.

The objects of trail construction are (a) to provide safe and unobstructed passage of loaded animals and foot travelers at a walking gait and in single file; (b) durability designed to meet expected use and liability of damage from natural causes.

8.—STANDARDS

Standards of construction designated in this handbook are sufficient to accomplish the justified objects of trail work.

9.—MAINTENANCE POLICY

The desired standards of trail upkeep are those which are necessary to maintain the standard of construction established herein. Well-balanced work, not polish, is wanted. To underdo maintenance is bad. To overdo it is worse, because a dollar unspent remains available to correct mistakes, while more dollars spent than necessary are simply wasted.

Maintenance will include the removal of obstacles from primary trail beds to facilitate the operation of plows and drags wherever the use of such horse-drawn equipment is feasible from the point of view of economy and physical practicability.

10.—SELECTION OF PROJECT

New construction into inaccessible areas requiring fire protection takes priority in the use of funds over raising the standards of a usable existing trail. Consideration should be given to this when planning the reconstruction of a trail which can be reconditioned at a lower cost. Reconstruction of trails, other than those in highly recreational areas, should be avoided until all hazardous portions of the forests have been made accessible.

New fire control or administrative projects to warrant approval, will have to be based upon:

(a) Sound reasons for, and practicability of, reducing travel time into given regions.

(b) Sound reasons for making a country accessible to animals, which is now open to foot travelers only.

(c) Sound reasons for making particular places accessible to either foot travelers or horses.

Recreation trails will be constructed where the need is made clearly apparent by public demand or by existing heavy use of trails over which travel is very laborious or difficult, or where a desirable and justifiably greater use of the National Forests will very probably result.

Grazing projects fall into two classes:

(a) Development projects.

(b) Grazing administration projects.

Grazing development projects, to justify allotments, must be based upon one or more of the following reasons:

(a) Existing demands for additional range which can be satisfied only by making unused territory accessible by construction of trails.

(b) Or, a demand which may be depended upon to materialize soon after the date of completion of a given project.

(c) To secure proper distribution of stock on allotments, parts of which are overgrazed while other sections are only partially utilized or totally unutilized because of genuine, not relative inaccessibility. Do not build trails to overcome inaccessibility which may reasonably be met by better salt distribution or proper attention to herding by the owner or his employees.

(d) To make accessible, or to increase accessibility of, unused or slightly used regions of large extent in the interest of fire control, although the anticipated demand is more or less speculative but where nevertheless it may be good business to spend money on stock trails, driveways, and bridges in order to create conditions favorable to stock, as an inducement to owners to seek grazing privileges.

Other grazing projects, not of a development nature, will be approved upon showing of real need for:

(a) The building of stock trails (driveways) to protect existing roads or trails used chiefly for other purposes.

(b) The building of stock trails (driveways) or relocation in whole or in part of existing ones in interest of fire control.

(c) The building of stock trails (driveways), or relocation of existing ones to protect recreational use of the National Forests.

(d) Trails needed to facilitate the transportation of supplies used by stockmen.

The standard of stock trails should never exceed and should seldom equal the specifications for secondary trails.

11.—TRAIL CREWS AS FIRE FIGHTERS

Two principal factors are to be given consideration in laying out a season's trail program:

(a) The permanent forest benefit in terms of better fire control or administration, which the program will produce.

(b) The availability of men for fire fighters.

Under some circumstances it may be advisable to prolong work on a trail at the sacrifice of speedy completion, or to start work on a trail of secondary importance, in order to have a crew on the ground to form an essential part of the fire organization.

It is often important to schedule trail construction and repair projects to provide work before and after the fire season, for key members of the fire-control personnel.

Employ only men who are capable of doing fire-control work and with the definite and unmistakable understanding that they will become a part of the fire-control organization, ready and willing to go and fight fires either day or night. Train them as fire-control units.

Members of trail crews when on fire suppression or emergency guard work will be paid wages as prescribed by the Regional Forester. Special written instructions to way and trail foremen will cover this point.

During the fire season connect trail crews which are considered to be a part of the fire-control organization with the telephone system or supply them with radio if at all practicable. Supplementary instructions will state the hours of test calls throughout the day. Always equip crews with an adequate outfit of fire-fighting tools and with appropriate emergency rations for suppression work.

12.—PLOWS AND SCRAPERS

Use plows and V drags to the fullest practicable extent on construction and maintenance of those trails upon which grading is necessary.

The light reversible side-hill plow is the best known type. Various kinds of V drags are in use. One of satisfactory design is shown in figure 44.

If Service-owned animals are not available, and private stock cannot be rented conveniently, horses and mules should be purchased from trail funds where the use of plows and scrapers is good practice.

Regional Foresters are especially urged to get the instructions of this section into practice, if use of the equipment mentioned will help reduce costs.