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Show REPORT OF THE COMNISSIONEB OF INDIAN AFFAIES., 15 The building of telephone lmes, roads, and trails for the protection of timber has been continued, and the advantage of such means of communication has been demonstrated. A t.otal of the forest and: prairie fires reported from all reservations during the calendar year ended December 31, 1912, showed that the great majority were extinguished before any great damage was done. Approximately. 900,000 feet of timber were injured, about 50,000 acres were burned over, and the total damage done by all fires was estimated at only $10,000. A large part of this is estimated damage to forage and, young growth. Logging operations on the Bad River, Lac du Flambeau, ~ a c ' Courte OreiUe, and Fond du Lac Reservations have. been continued by the regular contractors. The total amount cut on each of these reservations was as follows: Bad River, 57,183,770 feet; Lac du. Flambeau, 23,049,110; Lac Courte Oreille, 4,268,050 feet; Fond du Lac, 13,128,775 feet. All of this timber was cut on allotments. except 12,068,620 feet cut from unpatented Inn& of the Lac du. Flambeau Reservation, claimed by the State of Wisconsin as swamp I lands, and 56,955 feet cut from tribal lands of the Bad River. Reservation. In the summer of 1910 the pine timber on the ,Red Lake Indian) Reservation was injured by fie. An attempt to dispose of this timber in 1911 at minimum prices of 58 for white pine and 56 for.. Norway was unsuccessful. The timber was considerably damaged b,y standing after burning. In the autumn of 1912 it was again advertised at a lower price. During the logging season of 1912-13 there were removed 9,411,920 feet of white pine and 4,426,620 feet. of Norway, for which $71,167.80 has been received. About 1,000,000, feet still remain upon one of these tracts. This will be out during the season of 1913-14. Timber on allotments under the Red Cliff Indian Reservation was advertised for sale during the fiscal year 1913, but no bids were received. On December 17,1912, the department approved the rewmmenda-tion of this office that all existing contracts between Mr. A. V. Johnson and allottees of the Grand Portage Reservation be canceled, and that no further contractj be made under the authority granted to Mr., Johnson on November 4, 1907. Very many of the original allottees, of Grand Portage are deceased, and the heim have not been deter-; mined in most instances. As soon as such determinations are made an attempt can be made to dispose of the remaining timber. ' About 20,000,000 feet of timber standing on allotments under the. jurisdiction of the superintendent of the Leech Lake Indian School. were sold under sealed bib opened on March 28, 1912. |