ployment only temporarily, they cannot be relied upon to 

 remain in touch with the service. The importance of their 

 work calls for a continuous force throughout the year and it 

 is only by employing them throughout all the year that the 

 right kind of men can be retained. Trails and telephone 

 systems must be constructed; more definite data concerning 

 the timber resources must be compiled and the entire forest 

 protective system perfected. Fully $150,000 will be needed 

 if Minnesota is to get her just due from the woods. The 

 initial appropriation of $75,000 a year for the first two years, 

 was probably ample, but the time for perfecting has arrived. 



Prevention of Forest Fires Only a Preliminary Step in 

 Development. 



The ordinary popular idea of forestry has been largely con- 

 fined to that phase of the science which has to do with the 

 prevention and control of forest fires. This undoubtedly is an 

 important and serious consideration. Where fires are allowed 

 to run it is impossible for young forests to spring up or plan- 

 tations to develop. Fire protection has been, therefore, the 

 primary duty of the new service the past two years. 



The prevailing idea that the task of the forest service will 

 be achieved when it has done away with the fire danger is 

 erroneous. This protection is rather a precautoinary measure 

 which must be taken first to assure the continued existence 

 of our remaining timber for proper usage, and to permit of 

 replacing that which is already gone. It wlil always be nec- 

 essary to guard against the recurrence of fires. An advance 

 step, which accompanies the first, is to ascertain and classify 

 the location and extent of such land as will be more profitably 

 devoted to the perpetual growing of timber than of other 

 crops. There are great areas of this nature, of at present 

 indefinite extent, in Minnesota. One problem to be adopted 

 is reforesting such areas as have been cut or burned, and 

 upon which natural reforestation is not taking place. These 

 are limited as compared with the enormous areas on which 

 young tree growth is coming of its own accord. 



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