FOR FOREST FIRE CONTROL 



1543 



land, even of villages and towns, is depreciated. In 

 more ways than in respect to lumber are we preparing to 

 prove the adage, "Wilful waste makes wilful want." 



In a region in which droughts provide conditions under 

 which the forest is easily burned, or in which lightning 

 fires may be set, it is almost self-evident that the utmost 

 vigilance in the way of patrols, tower observers and 

 organized crews of fire-fighters should be provided. In 

 sections where the railroads are largely responsible regu- 

 latory measures are demanded : the railroads themselves 

 are usually as much interested as the public. 



The United States is facing a timber shortage, not 

 because it is cutting its forests so rapidly, nor even be- 



problem which involves nothing less than a complete 

 change in the habits of a whole people, and their educa- 

 tion to a realization of the facts of the situation. If the 

 nation is now spending one million, or two million, or 

 live million dollars to control forest fires, and suiTering 

 a loss of mature timber valued at five or ten times as 

 much, with a loss in young trees that is quite indetermin- 

 able, is it not the part of wisdom to devote a portion of 

 the annual outlay, plus a fraction of the annual loss, to 

 a service that aims at the prevention of all fires, the elimi- 

 nation of direct loss, and the preservation of the growing 

 forests upon which the future is dependent ? Forestry 

 will not be established in America by planting a few thou- 



.AN UNBURN 

 This makes the most of soil and climatic advantages, i; 



cause they are cut recklessly, though that is true, but prin- 

 cipally because forest fires the country over are checking 

 nature's eiifort to ])roduce other forests for the benefit 

 of later generations. No policy of forest extension, or 

 forest control, can hope for success which is not founded 

 upon a forest fire service capable of guaranteeing a nego- 

 tiable interest in every growing forest. Silviculture is 

 impracticable where the fire hazard is considerable ; no 

 logger can be expected to save his smaller trees for a 

 future cut unless he can have an assurance that they will 

 be preserved ; forest planting is a foolish waste unless the 

 plantation is made where the danger of burning is small. 

 Foresters are agreed that this problem is fundamental 

 and vital. They realize, too, that fire control is more 

 than a matter of law — even of enforced law. It is a 



ED FOREST 



i attractive and yields wealth in the form of lumber. 



sand, or even many million, trees ; it will come, in the main, 

 through the protection, improvement and wise management 

 of the forest areas, already stocked, which are our heritage. 



No one appreciates the magnitude of the task more 

 than those who have engaged actively in forest fire con- 

 trol ; yet no one is more confident than they that the 

 problem is essentially one of organization, supported by 

 only reasonable amounts of public funds. 



I appeal to the foresters and forestry interests through- 

 out the country to take up, and press, an active campaign 

 for forest fire control, in Congress and before every 

 state legislature that meets during the coming winter. 

 Details need not be discussed here. They can safely be 

 left to the men who are entrusted with the work on be- 

 half of the various states. 



