its land either wild or cut-over to take such action." 



As a mere unofficial, voluntary proposal for state legislation 

 calculating to cope with phases of an enormous problem, here is a 

 suggestion concrete and plausible enough for anybody, on the face 

 of it. It seems to make suggestively practicable Prof. Roth's demand 

 that "the worst and most threatening area of slash lands be broken 

 up" as a fire protection measure. 



"CUT SLASH TO GROUND/' 



The state's laws regarding slash disposal need to be worked out to 

 more definite and practical conclusions than now provided for. This 

 needs to be done if farmers and ranchmen are to be properly protected 

 and if the state's forests are to be protected without disproportionate 

 cost. Two years ago fires coming up out of the slash lands burned 

 over farms and waste places in the area of Higgins Laks reserve until 

 they had come up to a line 22 miles long, which is within two miles of 

 the total of the line bounding t'he forest. Some of them got into the 

 forest and were there controlled. 



''Slash shouldn't be disposed of by being burned," said State Forest- 

 er Schaaf. "I don't believe in destroying anything. Slash should be 

 cut down to the ground. There it is far less liable to spread fire, and 

 soon it rots away, going back into the soil which needs it." 



What has been said earlier in these articles on matters of required 

 appropriations for work will have to suffice, as suggesting legislation. 

 This includes what Mr. Lovejoy has so clearly expounded regarding 

 the necessities of a land survey, to go hand in hand with reclamation 

 activities and to give direction to replanting effort and the expenditure 

 of funds for. fire protection. 



A large subject remains the explanation of what reforestation of 

 these barren lands will mean to industrial Michigan and the life of 

 dwellers in North Michigan towns, as also t'he lives of people who only 

 occasionally visit the north country. Those things "will have to await 

 treatment at another time. 



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