A POLICY OF FORESTRY FOR THE NATION 905 



in certain open pine forests. Uncontrolled light burning should be 

 prohibited everywhere. 



4. A vigorous campaign of education of the public regarding the 

 danger of forest fires and the need of cooperation on the part of every 

 user of the woods. 



5. A systematic campaign of law enforcement, in which all citizens 

 should be asked to cooperate, to puni.sh those who by carelessness or 

 intent start fires or permit their spread. 



There should be incorporated in the forest laws of every State 

 requirements to bring all forest owners into the protective system, and 

 to extend it to all cut-over and unimproved lands in the State. To 

 these requirements should be added the disposal, by lopping or burn- 

 ing, of dangerous slashings, and other special measures that the local 

 conditions may require. 



There should be provided by the State the administrative machinery 

 necessary to carry out the work effectively. 



The public should share in the burden of protection. The division 

 of cost will necessarily be different in different States, as is now the 

 case among those States v/hich have inaugurated such a system. The 

 public may properly hear the cost of the State-wide patrol system, 

 including overhead, inspection, lookouts, and similar items, and a 

 portion of the fire suppression costs. 



In general, the cost of the preventive system should be shared about 

 equally between the public and the owner of the land. At the present 

 time assistance by the States and the efforts of the private owners alike 

 are inadequate. Measures like brush disposal are essentially a part 

 of the logging operation and should be a charge against it. 



The Federal government should grant liberal financial aid in fire 

 protection, far greater than at present. This aid should be contingent 

 on the State's inaugurating and carrying out such a system as above 

 described, and this should not exceed in amount the funds appropriated 

 by the State. 



Protectioyi Against Insects and Disease 



As in fire protection, the spread of dangerous insect infestations and 

 diseases requires the aid and direction of the public. Both the Na- 

 tional and State governments should participate and appropriate lib- 

 erally to check the depredations. 



