668 AMERICAN FORESTRY 



Three years ago the Western Forestry and Conservation Association was 

 formed, and for the first time in the history of the lumber industry mutual 

 interests were organized for the suppression of the common evil — forest fire. 

 This association has grown until it embraces the five states of Montana, 

 Idaho, Washington, Oregon, and California, and is now prepared to do what 

 the states have failed to provide for: the protection of private timberlands 

 and the capital invested in the lumber industry. 



As an association it has no individual members, but is an alliance of 

 local organizations in the five western states. At present eight active fire 

 associations, with about four hundred timberland owners, are included in the 

 parent organization. Originally, there were fifteen local associations rep- 

 resented, but five in Oregon have turned their work over to the Oregon Forest 

 Fire Association, and of the ten remaining, two are the Washington and Ore- 

 gon Associations, which have a large membership but do no field work. 



The Western Foresti-y and Conservation Association is the clearing 

 house, as it were, of the afiBliated associations, and as such does not spend 

 money for direct protection. The field work is handled by the constituent or- 

 ganizations, and while the general plan is the same, the details vary in ac- 

 cordance with the local conditions. A chief fire warden directs the field oper- 

 ations, but a governing board outlines policies and determines the expense 

 limits. Some of the associations undertake the entire burden of expense for 

 their membei's, while others maintain only a skeleton system. 



Some of the more essential features of the fire association work are flexi- 

 bility in organization, so that the field force can be increased promptly in 

 emergencies; the availability of funds to carry on the work; systematic pa- 

 trol; prompt action in fighting fires which start; preventive measures, such 

 as burning dangerous slashings, keeping railroad rights-of-way clear, etc. ; co- 

 operation between the various federal, state, corporate, and private interests 

 concerned; and educational work among all classes. 



Space does not permit of outlining the work of the various associations, 

 nor of the developments in both the East and West which have followed the 

 initial organization of the Western Forestry and Conservation Association. 

 The following brief summary, however, will show the status of the fire protec- 

 tive association work practically ujj to date. 



Westei'n Forestry and Conservation Association. 



This is the pioneer association, which combines fifteen local fire associa- 

 tions. At present its active membership includes the Northern Montana For- 

 estry Association, the Coeur d'Alene, Pend d'Oreille, Clearwater, and Pot- 

 latch Timber Protective Associations, the North Idaho Forestry Association, 

 and the Lincoln-Benton and Inland Forest Fire Associations. The area ac- 

 tually represented is about 0,500,000 acres, but nearly 20,000,000 acres are 

 patrolled. 



The assessment for actual protection varies from one to fifteen cents per 

 acre, with an average of two to three cents. The expenses of the parent or- 

 ganization are provided for by an independent assessment of one-quarter cent 

 per acre. 



During the unusually bad fire season of 1910, the affiliated associations 

 and their members spent about |667,000, but kept the fire losses on the private 

 property represented down to about one-half of one per cent. The value of 

 the timber property protected, including its stumpage value and as a resource, 

 is estimated at not less than four billion dollars. 



The Forester and active head of the Association is E. T. Allen, Portland, 

 Oregon. 



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