DEPARTMENT OF LANDS AND FORESTS FOR 1931 



107 



The average daily force, including the Chief and Deputy Chief Rangers, 

 was as follows: April, 222; May, 851; June, 1,153; July, 1214; August, 1,206; 

 September, 815; October, 244. The largest number of men on duty at any one 

 time, including Chief and Deputy Chief Rangers, was 1,221. 



NUMBER OF MEN ON DUTY INCLUDING CHIEF AND DEPUTY CHIEF RANGERS 



April 1st 



April 15th 



May 1st 



May 15th 



June 1st 



June 15th 



July 1st 



July 15th 



August 1st 



August 15th 



September 1st. 

 September 15th 

 October 1st . . . 

 October 15th. . 

 October 31st . . 



1925 



24 

 62 

 360 

 648 

 822 

 842 

 847 

 848 

 845 

 841 

 835 

 806 

 245 

 82 



(3) Expenditures 



The total expenditure for the year was $2,147,923.49, less $60,000.00 

 transferred to a charge against Forest Ranging to cover air operations in con- 

 nection with that work, leaving the actual charge against Forest Fire Protection 

 at $2,087,923.49. The amount of fire tax collected for the year was $304,843.76. 



While this total amount of over two million dollars is classified as an 

 expenditure for forest protection it must be remembered that quite a considerable 

 proportion is not spent for forest protection at all but for the protection of 

 lives and private property in the various settlements throughout the Fire 

 Districts. 



Considered as insurance on our forest resources, which are valued at 

 $578,250,000 the expenditure is at the rate of 0.36 per cent. 



Consideration should also be given to the value of protection to Crown 

 lands for recreational purposes, watersheds upon which power development is 

 dependent, and fish, game and fur, the latter items now having an annual value 

 of 93 million dollars. 



The table of expenditures shows a steady rise in pay roll but there has 

 not been a corresponding increase in the number of men on duty, in fact the 

 highest number on the staff at any one time was less in 1931 than in 1930, and 

 both were less than 1923. The increased pay roll is accounted for by the increased 

 number of higher paid and better personnel and the necessity of maintaining 

 an ever-increasing winter staff. 



There have been large expenditures on improvements and equipment in order 

 to bring the detection and suppression facilities along as rapidly as possible. 

 This policy seems to be amply justified by the results obtained. 



The matter of expenditures resolves itself into the question as to whether 

 a reasonable degree of protection is desired or not. If it is, then we must be 

 prepared to spend at the very least one and three-quarter million dollars annually. 

 This is at the rate of 1.4 cents per acre over an area of 125 million acres. 



