Forest Service Policies Regarding the Use of Cattleguards Constructed from Used Oil Well Drill Pipe

Forest Service policies prohibit the use of cattleguards constructed from used oil-well drill pipe. In fact, Department of Agriculture regulations prohibit the purchase or use of used material except when new material is not available at a reasonable cost. In addition, Forest Service instructions state that structures erected on forest system roads should conform to specifications set by the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials, the American Society for Testing and Materials, and the General Services Administration. Representatives of the two associations knew of no specifications for used materials, and Forest Service officials knew of no way to assess the overall strength of used materials. It would be difficult to competitively purchase equipment constructed from used material because of the difficulty of comparing and assessing pertinent properties of used materials. The Forest Service did, however, purchase used materials for an emergency situation in Montana and, because of the special circumstances, waived the policy of not purchasing equipment constructed of used materials.