FIRE PROTECTION ON THE OZARK NATIONAL FOREST 521 



SHOWS LOOKOUT TOWER ON McGOWAN'S POINT. 

 THESE PICTURES SHOW THE NEED OF A HIGH 

 TOWER ON THE OZARK NATIONAL FOREST, 

 BECAUSE OF THE HIGH TREES SURROUNDING. 

 THESE TREES THAT ARE NEAR WILL BE 

 FELLED TO PREVENT DAMAGE BY REASON OF 

 THEIR FALLING AGAINST IT IN A HEAVY 

 WIND STORM. McGOWAN'S POINT, ARKANSAS. 



suits, though slow, have been encour- 

 aging. 



The system of fire protection first 

 adopted was a riding patrol maintained 

 during the fire season in the spring and 

 fall. On the Ozark each of the six dis- 

 trict rangers, with 160,000 acres to 

 cover, was authorized to expend from 

 $150 to $200 for the hire of mounted 

 patrolmen as conditions might demand. 

 The first year the mere presence of 

 the Forest officers checked wholesale 

 burning. By the second year, however, 

 this influence waned, and burning was 



carried on more vigorously than ever. 

 The season (fall of 1909 and spring 

 of 1910) was unusually dry and windy, 

 and the Forest officers were unable to 

 cope with the situation. Rut the very 

 extent of the damage \viiich resulted 

 worked in favor of the P'orest Service, 

 for many of the settlers who suffered 

 heavy fire losses in fences and build- 

 ings became strong supporters of an, 

 effective plan of fire control. At the 

 same time the inefficiency of the riding 

 patrol and lire-lighting methods was 

 made clearly apparent. Their weakness 



