Report of Committee on Forest Fires. 585 



may lie close to the ground and rapidly decay. Both methods 

 have been tried and found practicable and not too expensive. 

 Brush burning has been applied in Minnesota with success in 

 the pineries. Lopping of tops has been employed in spruce 

 forests, under law, in the Adirondacks with entire satisfaction. 



The cost of brush burning can under favorable conditions be 

 kept within 25 cents per M. feet ; the cost of downing tops is from 

 10 to 15 cents per cord of pulpwood in ordinary conditions, and 

 often the cost is balanced by the easier skidding and gain in wood. 

 In some places the one, in other places the other method is pre- 

 ferable, and there may be places where neither can be entirely, or 

 only partially applied. Hence, any legislation requiring the re- 

 duction of debries must not be specific but leave discretion to the 

 officials as to how the object is to be obtained in each case. When 

 these precautions are taken the government can well afford to 

 furnish fire protection even without charge to the limit holder. 



It must not be forgotten that the timber limit holder is not the 

 owner of the forest property, and cannot therefore be expected 

 to take much interest in the future, and fire protection in these 

 slashes is a provision for the future. Heavy penalties for fires 

 set by employees of lumber companies should be levied on the 

 employers. At least a limited liability should be established for 

 such fires. 



In order to hold miners, prospectors and, indeed, all others in 

 proper check, it should be required that everybody who sets a fire 

 in the woods be provided with a permit from a proper officer, such 

 permits to be for stated periods and renewable only to those who 

 have not offended, even though refusal to others might appear 

 harsh. In fact it may be justifiable to demand such a permit for 

 the mere entering of any woods. 



There is no reason why at least, prospectors should not be 

 placed under obligation of obtaining a permit for entering the 

 woods for this purpose whereby a check on their presence is 

 established. They may also properly be required to take under 

 the direction of the Forest Fire Service precautions to prevent any 

 fires from originating on their claims. The throwing or drop- 

 ping of burning matches, ashes from a pipe, lighted cigar, or any 

 other burning substances, or discharge of firearms with wads 

 during the close season without extinguishing any such burning 

 material should be forbidden. 



F. LitOAL, Points. 



On the legal side some new principles should be established by 

 statute regarding prosecutions, fines, penalties, and damages. 



I. The burden of disproof of responsibility for the origin of a 

 forest fire should be placed upon the defendant, be it corporation 

 or individual. 



