HOW THE INSECT CONTROL PROBLEM COMPARES 

 WITH THE FIRE PROBLEM ON NATIONAL FORESTS 

 IN DISTRICT 5. 



By John M. Miller, Forest Ranger. 



Upon the vigilance of the Forest Ranger depends the fire pro- 

 tective system of our National Forests. Great annual fire loss is 

 prevented by the watchfulness of these men who ride the trails, 

 by their resourcefulness and effectiveness on the fire lines. Every 

 year the Forest Service is getting a better hold of the problem. 

 By studying the local needs of each Forest, by better organization 

 of the administrative force, by telephone improvements it is 

 possible to meet fires sooner and check them with only a small 

 burned over area. But under the best system of fire patrol there 

 is another destructive agency, forest insects, that is constantly 

 making inroads upon the timber supply. In protection against 

 insects the part of the Forest Ranger will undoubtedly be an 

 important one as it is now in fire protection, but as yet very little 

 has been done by Forest officers on the whole to keep their terri- 

 tory free from insect attack. 



The need of better fire patrol has been driven home by expen- 

 sive and undesirable experience. Few men have fought forest 

 fires who do fully appreciate the necessity of locating them 

 promptly and getting them under control before large fires have 

 time to develop. It is hardly necessary to emphasize the advan- 

 tages of giving insect attacks the same prompt attention but quite 

 often the presence of insect damage in a Ranger district is dis- 

 regarded until it begins to reach the extent of a dangerous, de- 

 structive invasion. 



Of course, if the loss caused by insects is unavoidable, or if it is 

 not extensive enough to seriously interfere with the growing and 

 marketing of a crop of timber, then there is very little reason for 

 bringing this subject to the attention of the field men, the routine 

 of whose daily work is already too well filled. They have already 

 enough subjects on the list for systematic work and study. But 

 if it is shown that the forest resources of California are being 



