380 AMERICAN FORESTRY 



fifteen cents, whj fifteen is spent. Probably this is the single greatest differ- 

 ence from the popular two-or-three-dollar-annual-due association and from the 

 watch-dogged congressional system of guarding the public domain. 



The second cardinal principle is community of interest. The associations 

 do only those things by which the private forest owner, the people, the state 

 and the government unquestionably benefit equally. Consequently they have 

 no criticism or suspicion to fear and, what is far more important, are always 

 in position to enlist support or join forces anywhere without embarrassing 

 themselves or any one else. During all the recent controversies between 

 factions regarding federal conservation policies, states rights and the like, 

 the association meetings and affairs have been participated in with the utmost 

 harmony and on equal footing by lumbermen, state officials, forest service 

 ofiicers and conservation enthusiasts. WTiatever each may think of existing 

 conditions or proposed changes in them, his work with the association is 

 to make the very best of them as they are, with his own hands or money, for 

 the common public good. Without denying that the question of for whom our 

 resources are to be conserved is important, the association concerns itself not 

 at all with this question, but proceeds to conserve, actually and practically, 

 dealing with the resources themselves instead of views concerning them, to 

 the end that they may not be destroyed before disputants agree as to who shall 

 eventually enjoy them. 



Related closely to community interest is the cooperative principle which 

 has been applied, not only in theory, but to its utmost lengths in finance, 

 counsel and objects. In the actual fighting of fires and publication of educa- 

 tional material, as well as in interchange of experience and suggestions, the 

 forest owners work with each other, with the public and with state and govern- 

 ment. Every effort is made to perfect a system under which all agencies for 

 forest preservation may work not only without friction and with the strength 

 of numbers, but with the least unnecessary expense of duplicated effort. 

 Cooperation is a word often employed but seldom really applied. With us it 

 means more than mere voluntary give or take, where each secures the other's 

 help with the least return and both are mutually suspicious and guarded. 

 We pool the work so each has to contribute his very best effort, or suffer him- 

 self in consequence. 



Finally, j^ublicity has been sought and welcomed, and in two ways. There 

 has been an unremitting educational campaign to convert public and lumber- 

 man alike to necessity and methods of forest preservation. Furthermore, the 

 actual work of the associations has been laid bare for scrutiny in every detail. 

 Meetings and reports are public. There can be no charge that the influence 

 of the organization is used for any hidden or improper purpose. 



So much for general principles, now as to definite objects. It is the 

 belief of the several forest owners' associations of the Pacific Northwest, affil- 

 iated in the Western Forestry and Conservation Association, that, while con- 

 servative management in all ways should be adopted as fast as conditions 

 permit, the underlying foundation is safety from fire. They believe that to 

 secure it there must be extensive education, strict enforcement of good fire laws, 

 vigilant trained patrol to suppress before they spread the fires which start in 

 spite of all preventive effort, and means of marshaling quickly an efficient 

 force to fight the very few large fires which will occur, notwithstanding the 

 foregoing precautions, just as a Baltimore or San Francisco burns. 



They attempt to provide as much of such a system as private effort can 

 provide, and to secure provision of the rest by the public. They believe that 

 division of responsibility should be something like this: The forest owner 

 should do his full share financially and is best equipped through local and 



