THE USE BOOK. 153 



it was less than one-tenth of 1 per cent of the total area 

 of the National Forests. 



The burden of adequate protection against fire can 

 not well be borne by the State or by its citizens, much as 

 they have to gain, for it requires great outlay of money 

 to support a trained and equipped force, as well as to 

 provide a fund to meet emergencies. Only the Gov- 

 ernment can do it, and, since the law does not provide 

 effective protection for the public domain, only in the 

 National Forests can the Government give the help so 

 urgently needed. 



Through its fire patrol the Forest Service undertakes 

 to guard the property of the resident settler and miner, 

 and to preserve the timber, water, and range upon which 

 the prosperity of all industries depends. The help it 

 can give to the development of the West may be greatly 

 increased by the cooperation of citizens. Destructive 

 forest fires arenot often willfully sej, but far too_com- 

 monly tliey resUTt from failure to realize that care- 

 lessness will be followed b} 7 injury and distress to others. 

 The resident or the traveler in forest regions who takes 

 every precaution not to let fire escape, and who is 

 active in extinguishing fires which he discovers, con- 

 tributes directly to .the development and wealth of the 

 country and to the personal safety and profit of him- 

 self and his neighbors. He who does not assumes a 

 great responsibility by endangering not only his own 

 welfare, but that of countless others. 



Citizens' fire brigades- have been organized success- 

 fully in many National Forests. Not only is the pre- 

 vention of fire to the interest of all property owners, but 



