574 AMERICAN FORESTRY 



damage and at reasonable cost. In order to protect the forest from fires in 

 accordance with these basic principles, and to attain these administrative 

 essentials, the need for systematic effort and for team work to replace indi- 

 vidual and disconnected efforts has become more and more apparent. It 

 is recognized that so far as possible, all needs and emergencies to the full 

 extent that men and money are available, must be foreseen and provided for. 

 In this way the greatest efficiency can be secured at the least cost. 



FIRE PLANS. 



The feeling is growing that systematic protection can be brought about 

 only by a fire plan for each administrative unit or national forest. Each 

 fire plan is now or will eventually become a part of the forest working plan 

 which covers all phases of administration and management. 



Fire plans have already been prepared wholly or in part, and are now in 

 effect on a large number of national forests. In each case these plans are 

 based on a careful study which is still being continued and a local application 

 of the principles and essentials already outlined. In addition to the determina- 

 tion of the comparative value of the forest areas to be protected, such areas 

 are being located and mapped as fast as available funds will allow. Studies 

 are being made of the causes and location of all past fires on each forest. 

 Methods are being devised for the prevention of fires so far as this is possible, 

 and studies made to determine on the ground by the men concerned the 

 manner in which patrol should be conducted in order that fires may be dis- 

 covered quickly. The best form of co-operation between adjoining districts 

 and between adjoining national forests, both in patrol and in fighting fires, 

 is being investigated. Various schemes are being tried experimentally to 

 establish an exceedingly flexible force of forest patrolmen, and in case of 

 need, fire fighters. Various plans are also being tried for rapid transporta- 

 tion of men with etjuipment and supplies to fires. Plans for permanent 

 improvements, including the building of headquarters for officers ; pastures in 

 order that horses may be obtained quickly and easily; telephones and signal 

 systems for prompt communication ; roads and trails for easy transportation ; 

 lookout stations on prominent peaks which overlook large areas of forest 

 land ; tool boxes for the storing of tools at strategic points, have been largely 

 completed and take into account the necessity, so far as the needs can be 

 foreseen, for intensive fire protection. The plans which are based on such 

 investigations and experiments must first of all provide for protection from 

 fire, but must also co-ordinate protection work with the administration work 

 which is to be carried on during the fire season. Experience has shown that 

 each plan must be adapted to the conditions on the ground ; that it must be 

 exceedingly flexible to suit changed conditions and to cover all possible 

 emergencies. In order to be successful, it must establish definitely in as much 

 detail as possible the responsibility of all the men concerned without making 

 them feel that the initiative in many ])hases of the work is being taken from 

 them. The most successful plans will obviously be those which are most 

 complete, most simple and most usable. Finally, provision must be made 

 for constant improvement in prevention and actual fire fighting in accordance 

 with experience and the results of investigations. 



Maps usually form a part of the i)lan and show the location of timber, 

 all permanent improvements which may be of value in fire protection, all 

 l)articularly dangerous zones, tool caches, ranches where supplies or men may 

 be obtained, roads, trails, telephone lines, etc., topography and any other 

 features which can be placed upon a map and which will be of value in fire 

 protection. 



