STATE WORK 



Report of the Forest Commission of Maine 



In his annual report Edgar E. Ring, 

 forest commissioner of Maine, refers to the 

 fire peril and to the lessons of the past 

 season. Of the new Maine forest fire law, 

 he says: 



"The forest fire law enacted by the last 

 Legislature was a long step toward the con- 

 servation of our forests by protecting them 

 from fire. We know the principles of the 

 law are correct because we have tried them 

 out. The necessity of patrol is so generally 

 admitted that it hardly needs mentioning. 

 Putting out fires already started is better 

 than letting them burn, but, as the real 

 foundation of a protective system, it is 

 about like lowering the lifeboat after the 

 ship has struck. Patrol is better than 

 fighting, because the incipient spark or 

 camp fire can be extinguished before it be- 

 comes a forest fire that has to be fought. 

 One patrolman can stop a hundred incipient 

 fires cheaper than one hundred men can 

 stop one large fire. 



"Results in forest protection are most 

 truly measured, not by the number of fires 

 extinguished, but by the absence of fires 

 at all. 



"Another feature of the new law is that 

 the small assessment upon the land owners 

 makes it co-operative. Just as the individ- 

 ual cannot maintain a properly organized 

 and equipped fire department to look after 

 his city property as well alone as through 

 joining with the community, neither can he 

 do so in protecting forest property. If one 

 patrolman can cover the land of several 

 owners, it is unwise for each to hire a man. 

 If a fire starts and threatens several tracts, 

 it is better to share the expense of putting 

 it out. The sale value of timberland in any 

 region is increased by public knowledge 

 that those interested there unite in sup- 

 porting progressive protective methods. 



"Again this law has been the means of 

 compelling the non-resident owner, the 

 small owner who is unable to employ any 

 one alone, and the non-progressive owners 

 who would otherwise do nothing, to con- 

 tribute their share toward the general cost, 

 and the public take far more kindly to the 

 enforcement of fire laws by the state than 

 to similar activity on the part of the in- 

 dividual owner, against whom a prejudice 

 might exist. 



"Our forest wealth is mainly community 

 wealth. All the owner can get out of them 

 is the stumpage value. The people get 



everything else. On every acre of land de- 

 stroyed by fire the citizens of this state 

 who are not land owners bear at least 75 

 per cent of the direct loss and sustain seri- 

 ous injury to their future safety and profits. 



The forest district plan, recently pro- 

 vided for, by which the land owners of 

 Aroostook, Franklin, Hancock, Oxford, 

 Penobscot, Piscataquis, Somerset and 

 Washington counties are annually assessed 

 one and one-half mills (in 1909 and 1910, 

 $63,945.44) for fire patrols, has the com- 

 missioner's hearty approval. 



Concerning the fire patrol and lookout 

 system, Mr. Ring says: "One of the first 

 things attempted and carried out under the 

 conditions made possible by creating the 

 Maine Forestry District, was the enlarge- 

 ment of the patrol and lookout systems. 



"Eight years ago when the first law was 

 passed looking to the protection of Maine's 

 forests a goodly number of fire wardens 

 were appointed and so far as possible dur- 

 ing the dry and dangerous periods the most 

 exposed places were patrolled, but neces- 

 sarily only a limited amount of such work 

 could be done with an appropriation of only 

 $10,000, which had to be devoted to extin- 

 guishment as well as prevention. 



"Experience has taught all who have 

 made a study of the protection of forests 

 against fire that first in importance is the 

 protection that can be gained by proper pa- 

 trol. It has been the custom of the forest 

 commissioner each spring to meet the land 

 owners of the different sections of the state 

 at some convenient and central point to 

 talk over and plan the season's work. At 

 the meeting held in 1909 after the passage 

 of the Maine Forestry District act we made 

 known our plans for extending the patrol 

 system and such plans met with hearty 

 approval of the land owners. 



"An efficient corps of chief wardens were 

 appointed, men being selected who were 

 recommended by the land owners as being 

 thoroughly familiar with the territory as- 

 signed to their care. Under the chiefs were 

 placed enough men to cover the most ex- 

 posed sections and there was not a town- 

 ship of wild land that was not included in 

 the routes of the patrolmen. The water- 

 ways and roads most frequently traveled 

 by rivermen and sportsmen were particu- 

 larly well looked after as were the town- 

 ships lying along the railroads. 



"Of the amount appropriated in 1909 

 there was used in the patrol system alone, 

 including amounts paid the chief and 



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