PROTECTION OF FOREST PROPERTY 35 



ELECTRIC DRIVE 



Electric power for logging purposes will be used extensively 

 in the future wherever it can be developed cheaply. A number 

 of western firms are now experimenting with electrically-driven 

 yarding engines and although still in the experimental stage they 

 are giving good results. 



PROTECTIVE ASSOCIATIONS 



There are several associations^ of private timberland owners 

 organized in the Northeast, Lake States, Inland Empire and the 

 Far West, whose object is the prevention and control of forest 

 fires. These associations are composed of the largest timber- 

 land owners in a given region, whose problems of protection are 

 similar. Some are local in character, others include an entire 

 state, while one is interstate. During the fire season many of 

 these associations maintain a patrol system with lookout stations, 

 reserve tool stations, and approved devices for fire fighting. 

 They usually support a paid secretary who is manager of the 

 patrol force during the fire season and who also conducts educa- 

 tional campaigns in order to arouse public sentiment on the 

 forest fire question. Hearty cooperation between state, national 

 and private interests has been manifested from the first. 



Associations are supported chiefly by an assessment of from 

 i| to 3 cents per acre. During 191 1 the Western associations 

 protected 954,000 acres at an average cost of I3 cents per acre. 



No concerted efforts have been made by Southern operators, 

 because the loss of mature standing timber is not considered 

 great enough to warrant their interest. 



1 Among the more important associations are: The New Hampshire Timberland 

 Owners Association, organized in December, 1910; the Northern Forest Protective 

 Association, covering the states of Michigan and Wisconsin, organized in Novem- 

 ber, 1910; the Washington Forest Fire Association; the Oregon Forest Fire 

 Association, organized in April, 1910; and the Western Forestry and Conservation 

 Association, organized in January, igog, representing private timberland owners 

 in Washington, Idaho, Montana, Oregon and California. The object of the last 

 association is to work for laws which will assist lumbermen in preserving standing 

 timber from fire in public and private domains. 



