232 



FORESTRY AND IRRIGATION 



May 



passed, which provided that county 

 commissioners should be c.v-officio fire 

 wardens; and provided for a closed 

 season, to be designated by the county 

 commissioners, during which slashing 

 fires could be kindled only permits is- 

 sued by them. No special fund was 

 was provided for the work, excepting 

 that the land commissioner was au- 

 thorized to prepare "fire notices" and 

 distribute them through his office. Ex- 

 penditure on this account, for the two 

 years, was $40. The law was better 

 than nothing at all and succeeded in 

 keeping down fires to a considerable 

 extent ; but in some counties the coun- 

 ty commissioners did not see fit to do 

 anything in the matter, and hence the 

 law was a "dead letter." Better re- 

 sults were secured during the first 

 year, while the memory of the great 

 fire of 1902 was fresh in the minds of 

 everyone. In 1904, only a few of the 

 counties did anything toward keeping 

 down forest fires. 



The law passed in the session of 

 1905, was introduced as Senate Bill 

 No. 246, by Senator Rands. The bill 

 provides for the appointment, by the 

 governor, of a "Board of Forest Com- 

 missioners," consisting of the State 

 Land Commissioner and four electors. 

 The term of office shall be for four 

 years from the date of appointment. 

 The board of forest commissioners 

 shall supervise all matters of State 

 forest protection ; and have full power 

 to appoint all employes of the forest 

 service, including fire wardens and 

 deputy fire wardens ; and shall make 

 all rules and regulations, for the pre- 

 vention, control and suppression of 

 forest fires. They shall gather infor- 

 mation regarding the timberland 

 owned by the State, through the in- 

 vestigation of the fire officials ; report 

 upon damage done by forest fires and 

 illegal cutting and trespassing upon 

 State timberlands. 



The fire warden and forester shall 

 receive a salary of $1,500 per year; 

 and shall act as secretary of the Board 

 of Forest Commissioners. He shall 

 have direct charge and supervision of 



the forest fire service of the State, sub- 

 ject to the rules of the board of forest 

 commissioners. His duties include the 

 posting of notices, the appointment of 

 deputy fire wardens, subject to con- 

 firmation by the Forest Commission ; 

 auditing of all bills for salary and ex- 

 penses incurred in suppression of fires, 

 presenting a statement thereof to each 

 county for the payment of their pro- 

 portion of the expense. And a con- 

 siderable amount of scientific work 

 covered by the following provisions : 



"It shall be his duty to institute in- 

 quiry into the extent, kind, value and 

 condition of the timberlands of the 

 State. The amount, in acres, and the 

 kind of timber that is cut and removed 

 each year. The extent to which tim- 

 berland is being destroyed by fire. And 

 also examine into the protection, quan- 

 tity, and quality of timber. And he 

 shall make a written report to the 

 State Board of Forest Commissioners 

 upon all such facts, together with de- 

 tailed information as to the work of 

 the forest fire service of the State." 



In each of the timbered counties of 

 the State there shall be appointed dur- 

 ing the period, from June i to Octo- 

 ber i, a deputy fire warden, who shall 

 receive a compensation of $4 per day. 

 Deputy fire wardens shall represent 

 the authority of the Commission, and 

 the State fire warden in their respec- 

 tive districts and shall have authority 

 to employ or impress help for the sup- 

 pression or control of forest fire. They 

 shall be under the direction of the 

 State fire warden, who shall have pow- 

 er to mass them at any point requiring 

 especial protection. 



A fine of $25 for refusing to render 

 assistance, is provided for, when 

 called upon by a forest ranger, and 

 any one needlessly destroying a warn- 

 ing notice shall be liable to a fine not 

 exceeding $100 or to imprisonment not 

 exceeding thirty days. 



Provision is made for the appoint- 

 ment of forest rangers and timber 

 cruisers, in the employ of private cor- 

 porations and individuals, as forest 

 rangers : but without any compensa- 



