NUMEROUS FOREST FIRES 



519 



has eighty men in the field. Road 

 builders' debris now constitutes the 

 worst hazard. 



Idaho reports an early spring, and 

 dense vegetation make dry weather 

 more to be feared than usual. Con- 

 trary to Washington, rights of 

 way are in better condition 

 than slashings, especially those 

 of settlers and small loggers. 

 Patrol forces are cleaning up 

 fire-traps and working on trail 

 and telephone systems. 



Montana conditions are 

 much like those of Idaho. 

 There have been no important 

 fires. 



Oregon has had some small 

 slash fires. The State for- 

 ester urges continuation of 

 purposeful slash burning, 

 under permit and with full 

 precaution. He has about ^(i , 

 men in the field. Private pa- &' 

 trol associations also began 

 work in May and will have 

 ;350 men on duty by July 1. 



Throughout the Northwest, 

 cooperation between private, 

 State and Federal forces is 

 more complete than in past 

 years. The Weeks law fund 

 granted by Congress to States 

 with efficient systems has 

 again given Oregon, Wash- 

 ington, Idaho and Montana 

 important financial assistance. 

 ]Much attention is being given 

 by all agencies to lookout sta- 

 tions and telephone extension. 

 In short, all report excellent 

 preparation to meet a bad 

 year, but urge earnest cooper- 

 ation by those who use fire in 

 the woods. Careful handling 

 of slashings by settlers, road 

 crews and loggers is agreed to 

 be the most urgent need at this stage of 

 the season. 



PUr.LIClTV WORK. 



It may perhaps be of interest to the 

 readers of American Forkstrv to 

 know what one National Forest is 

 doing in the way of reaching the forest 

 users in order to secure their coopera- 



tion and good-will in fire-prevention 

 work. 



The Apache National Forest, em- 

 bracing 1,276,400 acres, probably con- 

 tains the best and the greatest number 

 of trout streams of any Forest in Ari- 



This Picture Needs no Title. 



such forest fires as this do untold damage year after year 

 in our forests. 



zona and New Mexico, and although 

 located at a great distance from rail- 

 roads, is visited annually by a large 

 number of fishing and camping parties, 

 hunters and trappers as well as trans- 

 continental tourists over the Ocean to 

 Ocean Highway, which crosses the for- 

 est. A considerable number of our fires 

 are attributable to this class of users, 



