82G JOURNAL OF FORESTRY 



acre per year (although to he sure, this cost when a forest Imsiness is 

 estahlished can be largely pro-rated against other lines of work). 



This gives some idea of the number of men needed for worth-while 

 fire protection. 



It is believed by men of the Forest Service who have given much 

 thought to the problem that adequate fire protection in most pine 

 forests can be obtained by increasing the number of men on the 

 National Forests about three-fold. Without doubt, a large number of 

 men are needed ready for fire fighting at a moment's call. 



The question comes, now, how can these men be employed when not 

 actually engaged in fire fighting ? On those areas where a large amount 

 of planting and of road construction is needed work will be at hand 

 for several years, but such work will not last indefinitely. The con- 

 struction of roads is usually done by large crews — done more efficiently 

 and completed quicker. 



One of the prime reasons why many men in the Forest Service are 

 advocating that the Forest Service should do its own logging is because 

 of the need of men during the fire season. They need men upon whom 

 they can depend (the Forest Service has had bitter experience and 

 much grief from irresponsible fire fighters) ; they want men who they 

 can train for fire fighting, and who once trained will be available for 

 fire work for several years; they need men of proven physical ability; 

 and they want men who can handle crews of fire-fighters. In short, 

 they want a crew of men trained to the work and ever on the job. 

 Considerable training is needed to make first-class fire-fighters. Through 

 winter logging men for fire-fighting could be given steady employment. 



Fighting forest fires requires as much ability as fighting fires in 

 cities. The city soon learned that the pick-up crew, the volunteer fire 

 department, was a poor bet in case of a real fire, and firemen who made 

 fire-fighting a life job were installed. The city is wealthy enough, and 

 believes that the stake is high enough, to employ men for no other pur- 

 pose than as firemen. The forester feels that other work must be 

 found for the men at those times when they are not actually fire fighting. 



This is one of the strongest arguments in support of the statement 

 that adequate fire protection will not be obtained on the forest lands 

 now being logged until sustained annual yield of the area (usually not 

 over 90,000 acres in extent) is obtained. Under a sustained annual 

 }ield policy a continuous lumbering operation is carried on. On a 

 !H).(K)0-acre tract, cut over on a 20-year return plan, selection system. 



