FIVE STATES UNITE TO SAVE FORESTS 



ONE hundred and forty of the leading loggers, lumber manufacturers ana 

 forest conservation experts of Montana, Idaho, Oregon, Washington 

 and California met at Portland, Oregon, early in December to attend 

 the forest fire conference of the Western Forestry and Conservation Asso- 

 ciation. The best methods of forest fire protection, conservation of the forests 

 and reforestation formed the central thought of the convention. 



After two days devoted to hearing many excellent addresses and spirited 

 and valuable discussions the convention adopted resolutions urging co-opera- 

 tion by Federal and State Governments and local forestry and conservation 

 associations for the conservation of forests of the Pacific Coast and Pacific 

 Northwest, through proper and adequate means of prevention of forest fires, 

 and urging each forested county to contribute its share of the expense of 

 fire patrol and fire fighting. Appreciation was also expressed of the Federal 

 Forest Fire Service. 



E. F. C. Van Dissel, of Spokane, G. M, Cornwall, of Portland, and F. G. 

 Greggs, of Tacoma, were appointed members of a committee to take the mat- 

 ter of securing the use of troops for preventing and fighting forest fires up 

 with the secretary of war, and if existing laws do not permit the head of the 

 war department to comply with the request, then the committee is to under- 

 take securing proper legislation to provide for this need. 



The best means for regulating the destruction of debris and minimizing 

 the danger from fire loss was discussed at length. J. L. Bridge, of the Wash- 

 ington Forest Fire Association, favored burning slashings in the fall instead 

 of the spring, because of the ever-present danger that smouldering fires usually 

 remain only to be fanned into a dangerous conflagration at the beginning of 

 the dry season. He urged the necessity of assistance and co-operation between 

 logging operators and timber owners to reduce fire risks. 



W. D. Humiston, of the Potlatch Timber Protection Association, argued 

 that it was best to burn slashings as the logging progressed whenever that 

 course was practicable. 



F. A. Elliott, State Forester of Oregon, agreed that local conditions de- 

 termined in a large measure the proper time to burn slashings, although he 

 deemed it better to do this work in the fall. 



Better organization, both individual and associate, was recommended by 

 A. E. Adelsperger, of the Coos County Fire Patrol Association, to the log- 

 gers if the danger of fire from their operations would be reduced. He main- 

 tained that responsibility for all fires resulting from logging operations should 

 be fixed in all cases. Too frequently, he said, the foreman of the logging camp 



43 



