EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETINS 



147 







^::Si^-^^i^^mm 



FORESTRY LEGISLATION. 



CLINTON D. SMITH. 



In Mieliisaii. as early as 1S46, a law was enacted (Howell's Annotated Statutes 

 9,402, 9,403 and 9,404) making it a misdemeanor to wilfully or negligently set fire 

 to any woods, prairies or ground not the property of the person committing the deed, 

 or wilfully or negligently permitting any fire to pass from his own woods, prairies 

 or grounds, to the injury or destriiction of the property of other persons. The 

 maximum penalty is a fine of $1,000 or imprisonmcmt in the county jail not exceed- 

 ing one year. The guilty person is also liable to the party injured in double the 

 amount of the damages sustained. 



"Whenever the woods or prairies of any township shall be on fire so as to en- 

 danger property, it shall be the duty of the justices of the peace, the supervisor, 

 and the commissioner of highways of such township, and each of them, to order 

 such, and so many of the inhabitants of such township, liable to work on the high- 

 ways, and residing in the vicinity of the place where such fire shall be, as they 

 shall severally deem necessary, to repair to the place where such fire shall prevail, 

 and there to assist in extinguishing the same, or in stopping its progress. If any 

 person shall refuse or wilfully neo'leet to comply with such order, he shall forfeit a 

 sum not less than five nor more than fifty dollars." 



An act, approved May 29, 1897, adds three more sections to these statutes, as 

 follows: 



Sec. 9404 a. (Sec. 4.) "The township boards of the several townships of this 

 State are hereby authorized, and it shall be their duty to prohibit the setting of 

 forest fires or fires for the purpose of r^learing lands, and disposing by burning, of 

 refiise material and waste matter within their respective jurisdictions, whenever, 

 in the judgment of a majority of the members of each of said boards, it shall be 

 deemed necessary to prevent the spreading of such fires over the territory of such 

 township, or any pan thereof. Each of such boards may make such rules and 

 regulations as it may deem proper for the purpose of carrying this act into effect, 

 which rules and regulations shall be published liy posting notices thereof, together 

 with a copy of this act, in five of the most public places in such township." 



Sec. 9404 b. (Sec. 5.) "Whenever in pursuance of the authority hereby given. 



