TO Those Who Live in Forest Regions: 

 A great responsibility rests upon every one of you. The 

 state looks to you to help care for the trees, to assist in 

 the work of forever putting a stop to the disastrous fires that 

 have devastated miles upon miles of the most beautiful country 

 in the world. 



We think of the disasters at Hinckley, Chisholm, Baudette 

 and Spooner with horror. Knowing of what has happened, 

 oftentimes through mere carelessness, we should all prepare 

 to do our little part in preventing the recurrence of such disas- 

 ters. 



At the beginning of the season when fires are easily started, 

 let us gird ourselves for the fight. 



Every citizen of the forest regions in Minnesota should 

 make himself an assistant forest ranger. A forest ranger is 

 ever on the look out for the small fire that may be smoldering 

 but may need only a high wind to transform it into a con- 

 flagration. If every citizen will do the same thing, if he will 

 report every small fire that he sees, if he will give his time 

 and energy towards helping the rangers, then the time will 

 come when the forest fires will be a thing of the past. 



Let us guard carefully the trees that God has given us. Let 

 us remember that the forest fires mean not only- the destruc- 

 tion of property worth millions of dollars but oftentimes the 

 loss of life. 



The battle is near at hand. Let us be ready for the fight. 

 Then may it be said at the end of the season, that the residents 

 of the north, by their co-operation with the state forest service, 

 have prevented a repetition of those disasters which are a part 

 of the state's darkest history. 



ADOLPH O. EBERHART, 



Governor of Minnesota. 



