FORESTS AND WILD LIFE 173 



destroyed. Then the rains of autumn came and again raised 

 the level of the lake until it flooded the burned area, and mixed 

 in its waters large quantities of ashes left by the fire. Great 

 numbers of fish died and the lake will long be useless for fish 

 propagation. 



Foresters, themselves, are taking a very clear view of their 

 own responsibility for contributing to the welfare of their 

 forest wards. This is partly because foresters, more than any 

 other class of men, know wild life intimately. They live among 

 them and sympathetically study them. Today, more than a 

 thousand Federal forest officers are acting as deputy State 

 wardens without one penny's increase in salary and are help- 

 ing to carry out State game laws. That is one reason why game 

 is increasing on the National Forests. 



The history of the Old World has proven that forestry and 

 the welfare of our wild life are closely interrelated. The wild 

 things befriended and protected return real benefits to the for- 

 ester. Unconsciously many are themselves good foresters. Birds 

 and squirrels often scatter seed over large areas and many a 

 fire-scarred region would remain treeless for long years were 

 it not for the seeds brought in by beast and bird. 



Foresters are coming to realize that just as timber is a forest 

 product, so is game, and that in Nature's complete economy it 

 is just as important to work for the perpetuation of wild life 

 as for the rest of the beneficial things our forests give. So for- 

 estry is, and always will be a helpful factor in the continuation 

 of wild life and the forester will always be the ally of his forest 

 friends. It is part of his tradition and an increasingly important 

 part of his profession to see that this great, varied, colorful life 

 of animals and birds shall never pass away. 



