M 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



which, in his hands, is a public menace. And all burning 

 can be banned in a locality or throughout the state when 

 conditions of peculiar danger make any use of open fire 

 a menace. It is needless to say that, though generally 

 enforced, the strictness of the enforcement has varied 

 with the local situations and different local wardens. But 

 the result of rigid observance of the regulations has al- 

 ways shown emphatically and at once in a reduced num- 

 ber of forest fires. Also the permit law is only operative 

 in townships where there are fire wardens appointed. 

 Because of this the introduction of the warden system 

 into new communities has almost always met with ob- 

 jection, but in no instance of which there is knowledge 

 has the protection which the permit requirement afforded 

 failed, within a short time, to transform the opposition 

 to hearty appreciation of its value. 



By other legislation the State can provide against or 

 eliminate seri- 

 ous fire m e n- 

 aces by requir- 

 ing patrol or 

 remedial meas- 

 ures at the ex- 

 pense of the 

 property owner 

 or of the agent 

 responsible for 

 the condition. 

 In this way 

 t h r e a t e ned 

 trouble from 

 areas of log- 

 ging slash, un- 

 kempt and dan- 

 gerous road- 

 sides, areas ad- 

 joining active 

 steam machin- 

 ery, improper- 

 ly protected 

 railroad rights- 

 of-way, perma- 

 nent camp sites 

 and colonies, 

 etc., is tempor- 

 arily guarded 

 against or per- 

 manently dis- 

 posed of as the need requires. One other feature of New 

 Jersey's forest fire law deserves' particular mention : 

 that is the flexibility of its penalty procedure. Under 

 the law there are provided statutory fines for violation 

 of its provisions, which make responsibility for forest 

 fires, whether by accident or intent, a violation, which 

 compel continual watch over all fires built and require 

 fire permits and fire-fighting service as above described. 

 However, the State is given the power to remit or to 

 reduce the statutory fine, where circumstances justify 

 such action, even though the violation is admitted or 



IT "EATS 'EM ALIVE!" 



This sort of treatment tends to discourage trees from growing. Tlie young growth is either 

 completely destroyed or stunted and carelessness causes most forest fires. 



plainly shown. Because of this, there are almost no 

 cases taken into court, and the penalties imposed assume 

 an educational as well as punitive character because the 

 unfortunate but necessary imposition of a severe penalty 

 for a minor offense, if it is to be dealt with at all, which 

 is so common under many penalty procedures, is avoid- 

 ed. A man can tell the truth, point out his ignorance or 

 bad judgment and its result to friends and neighbors and 

 yet not be "strung up" in consequence, if it is reasonable 

 that he should not be. 



The annual expenditure for all the work done now 

 averages from $35,000 to $45,000, or from 1^ to 

 2^ cents per acre of forest protected. The variable item 

 is the sum spent for fighting fire, for which the local 

 communities and the State each pay from $5,000 to $10,- 

 000 per year, dependent on the severity of the fire sea- 

 son. Considering this low cost the State is getting a 



surprisinglyef- 

 fective result 

 in fire preven- 

 tion and con- 

 trol. But a 

 "good show- 

 ing" or "great 

 improvement " 

 in one year 

 over another in 

 one or many 

 ways has not 

 and will not 

 make forestry 

 p r a c t i c e or 

 woodland own- 

 ership attrac- 

 tive or even 

 wise in New 

 Jersey or any- 

 where. The 

 State can wise- 

 ly and should 

 raise its annual 

 expenditure for 

 forest fire pro- 

 tection to 4c 

 per acre. At 

 this figure a 

 measure of 

 safety can be 

 assured to woodlands which will eliminate the present 

 risk and take timber growing and timberland holding 

 out of the class of hazardous investment, and make it a 

 safe and profitable business venture. 



A statement of the work done and results accom- 

 plished in stop])ing forest fires in New Jersey would be 

 incomplete if it did not give recognition to the great bene- 

 fit derived from the allotment of Federal Funds, under 

 the so-called Week's Law, for the protection of the water- 

 sheds of navigable streams. Though available for use 

 only in the northern third of the State, these funds have 

 (Continued on page 30) 



