68 S T A T. ]
307
PUBLIC LAW 43T-JUNE 29, 1954
proper care of the same; to investigate and test American timber and timber trees and their uses, and methods, for the preservative treatment of timber; to seek, through investigations and the planting of native and foreign species, suitable trees for the treeless regions; to erect necessary buildings: Provided, That the cost of any building purchased, erected, or as improved, exclusive of the cost of constructing a water-supply or sanitary system and of connecting the same with any such building, and exclusive of the cost of any tower upon which a lookout house may be erected, shall not exceed $18,500 ($22,500 in Alaska) with the exception that any building erected, purchased, or acquired, the cost of which was $18,500 or more, may be improved out of the appropriations made under this Act for the Forest Service by an amount not to exceed 2 per centum of the cost of such building; to protect, administer, and improve the national forests, including tree planting and other measures to prevent erosion, drift, surface wash, soil waste, and the formation of floods, and to conserve water; to ascertain the natural conditions upon and utilize the national forests, to transport and care for fish and game supplied to stock the national forests or the waters therein; for management of lands acquired under the land utilization program; and to collate, digest, report, and illustrate the results of experiments and investigations made by the Forest Service: Provided further, That the appropriations available to the Forest Service for the current fiscal year may be used for the operation and maintenance of aircraft, and the purchase of not to exceed four (for replacement only), and not to exceed $250,000 of such appropriations may be used for the maintenance, improvement, and construction of aircraft landing fields in, or adjacent to, the national forests, as follows: National forest protection and management: For the administration, protection, use, maintenance, improvement, and development of the national forests, including the establishment and maintenance of forest tree nurseries, including the procurement of tree seed and nursery stock by purchase, production, or otherwise, seeding and tree planting and the care of plantations and young growth; the maintenance of roads and trails and the construction and maintenance of all other improvements necessary for the proper and economical administration, protection, development, and use of the national forests, including experimental areas under Forest Service administration, except that where direct purchases will be more economical than construction, improvements may be purchased; the construction (not to exceed $18,500 for any one structure), equipment, and maintenance of sanitary and recreational facilities; timber cultural operations; development and application of fish and game management plans; propagation and transplanting of plants suitable for planting on semiarid portions of the national forests; estimating and appraising of timber and other resources and development and application of plans for their effective management, sale, and use; expenses of the National Forest Reservation Commission as authorized by section 14 of the Act of March 1, 1911 (16 U.S.C. 514); examination, classification, surveying, and appraisal of land incident to effecting exchanges authorized by law and of lands within the boundaries of the national forests that may be opened to homestead settlement and entry under the Act of June 11, 1906, and the Act of August 10, 1912 (16 U.S.C. 506-509), as provided by the Act of March 4, 1913 (16 U.S.C. 512); investigation and establishment of water rights, including the purchase thereof or of lands or interests in lands or rights-of-way for use and protection of water rights necessary or beneficial in connection with the administration and public use of the national forests; not to exceed $100,000 for the purchase of
Cost of b u i l d ' ings.
Protection, etcc, of national forest si.
Aircraft.
Landing fields.
Direct
pur-
36 Stat. 963.
34 Stat. 233; Stat. 287, 842.
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