LUMBERMEN AND FOREST LEGISLATION 33 



Ninth, the appalling sacrifice of life and the continued great loss of state and private 

 property resulting from fires in our forested area, are a disgrace to our civilization and 

 a most serious drain upon our natural resources, and we believe that the expenditure 

 of such amount as may be necessary to prevent these losses is fully justified. 



We therefore recommend that the appropriations by the state legislatures to main- 

 tain forest protection should be sufficient to provide for a forest patrolman for each 

 forty thousand acres requiring protection as well as for the expenses necessary to suc- 

 cessfully carry out all of the measures suggested by these resolutions. 



We recommend in addition to the patrol system an auxiliary county fire fightin? 

 force to be appointed by and under the direction of the commissioner, to be paid by the 

 state and charged back to the county. Such expense ultimately to be borne by the 

 counties or towns in which the fires occur. 



Resolved. That as it is shown by statistics that there are a large number of fire-i 

 set each season through the carelessness of the general public, including campers, fisher- 

 men, hunters and others, we recommend that a campaign of education be carried on 

 energetically through every possible channel to the end that this hazard be reduced 

 through a better understanding of forest conditions by all the people. 



Resolved. That the sincere thanks of all the delegates and attendants here be 

 extended to the officials of the state of Minnesota and the city of St. Paul, who have 

 contributed so largely to the success of this conference, to the Manufacturers' & Jobbers' 

 Associaion of St. Paul for the courtesies shown: to the management of the St. Paul 

 hotel for the facilities so freely extended, and to the press for its treatment of the 

 proceedings of this Lake States Forest Fire Conference. 



LUMBERMEN AND FOREST LEGISLATION 



By THORNTON A. GREEN, 



President of the Northern Forest Protecti^'e Association. 

 (An address delivered at the Lake States Conference, St. Paul, December 6.) 



^^;^E lumbermen of Minnesota, Wisconsin and Michigan do not seem to 

 ^ J have paid a great deal of attention to fore.st legislation in the past, 

 ^*^ except to oppose a few la'^vs that seemed about to lay an unnecessary 

 burden upon them. Until very recently the legislatures of these states had 

 enacted few practical laws. The lumbermen now are fully awake to the 

 necessity for some action that will give better protection to their timber lands. 

 Changes in the statutes are likely to be made in all three states this coming 

 winter and the lumbermen are most vitally interested in any changes that 

 may be made. 



The lumbermen's chief asset is standing timber. Mills, railroads and 

 equipment are practically valueles.s if there are no timber resources behind 

 them. 



There is a marked increase in the amount of timber offered for sale by 

 the non-operating timber owners as well as by the operators. The prices that 

 have prevailed for several years are being shaded in consequence. Forest fires 

 have had much to do with this weakening of timber values. 



Many lumbermen must, of necessity, resort to bond issues in these times 

 of high values of stumpage and high cost of labor and supplies, coupled with 

 the low price of lumber at the point of production. Standing timber is the 

 principal security for these bonds. It is only by exercising great care in the 

 protection of our timber resources that timber bonds can be kept at par. 



Insurance upon the plants and output of the lumber companies always 

 has been comparatively high. TTnless something is done to lessen the risk from 

 forest fire exposure many lumbermen and lumber towns will find it diiHcult 

 to obtain adequate insurance at reasonable prices. 



