668 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



made available by the passage of the 

 Federal Sundry Civil Bill with which 

 to furnish protection for some two mil- 

 lion acres within the Oregon & Califor- 

 nia Railroad Company's grant, title to 

 which is in question. The Govern- 

 ment brought action to cancel title to 

 this grant over a year ago and decision 

 is now pending before the United 

 States Supreme Court. About ninety 

 patrolmen went on duty in Western 

 Oregon to protect the grant early in 

 August. The Forest Service which 

 has been given charge of conducting the 

 work of protection is acting in close 

 cooperation with existing protection 

 agencies. 



Washington had seventy fires during 

 July, nearly all of them being slashing 

 fires. A few logs were burned as well 

 as some camp equipment, and the im- 

 provement of one settler. Accurate 

 figures on losses are not available, but 

 the amount is small, taking into account 

 the number of fires occurring. Donkey 

 engines, locomotives, berry pickers, 

 and lightning are given as the causes 

 of the fires. About 100 men are on 

 patrol duty for the Washington Forest 

 Fire Association, while the State Fire 

 Warden has on some seventy men. 



Idaho in common with other states 

 has experienced high temperatures and 

 practically no rain during July. A num- 

 ber of fires have started, but prompt 

 discovery has practically prevented 

 loss. A small amount of green timber 

 has been fire-killed. Campers, light- 

 ning and brush-burning are responsible 

 for nearly all fires which have occur- 



red in the state. The full patrol force 

 is on duty. 



Montana has experienced no severe 

 fires. The State and Forest Service are 

 cooperating in an effort to properly 

 cover the timbered sections adjacent to 

 the National Forests. 



Oregon reports about 100 fires for 

 the month, the most severe ones being 

 in old slashings. An inconsiderable 

 amount of green timber has been fire- 

 killed. The State Forester has ninety 

 men on patrol paid by State and Weeks 

 law funds and private owners are em- 

 ploying 300 wardens. Telephone serv- 

 ice which has been greatly improved the 

 past year is proving a marked factor in 

 protection work. High winds, hot 

 weather and practically no precipitation 

 have put the woods in dangerous condi- 

 tion. 



Reports from portions of California 

 indicate more favorable conditions than 

 last season, while the contrary is true 

 elsewhere in the northwest. 



Throughout the northwest the prep- 

 arations made early in the season to 

 meet a bad year are proving extremely 

 helpful. Never before has such close 

 working cooperation existed between 

 the Government, States, and private 

 patrols, and to this can be largely at- 

 tributed the success of the work up to 

 the present time. From now on hunt- 

 ers and campers will be going into the 

 mountains, and their cooperation is 

 needed to prevent fires. Loggers, road 

 builders and ranchers should be doubly 

 careful with fire. Only through such 

 care will serious fires be averted. 



