CHAPTER XIV. 



FIRE CONSERVANCY. 



THE general policy, technique and details of fire conservancy in 

 the forests of the United Provinces were considered at a 

 special conference held in Naini Tal on the 5th and 6th Septem- 

 ber, 1922, and the decisions arrived at have been incorporated in 

 this chapter. 



The necessity for fire protection in the United Provinces 

 forests generally is unquestioned, but its scope and importance 

 varies considerably in the different forests, and the question of 

 fire protection may be briefly reviewed for the following forest 

 types (1) sal, (2) miscellaneous plains, Tarai and Bhabar forests, 

 (3) chir pine, (4) other hill conifers, (5) oaks and other hill 

 forests. 



An important point to be borne in mind is the steady increase 

 in expenditure on fire conservancy, due largely to the ever-rising 

 wages of labour, and this necessitates the justification in each 

 case of the need and scope of fire protective measures adopted. 



(1) Sal. It is generally recognized that fire protection in the 

 past has been of considerable benefit to the sal forests, and should 

 be continued, especially (a) in all hill sal areas, (b) in all dry 

 plains and Bhabar areas and (c) wherever there is a heavy growth 

 of inflammable grass, etc. In moist sal forest with evergreen 

 undergrowth (e.g., Grorakhpur, Tikri, parts of Bahraich), fire pro- 

 tection is not so necessary, but as indiscriminate firing cannot be 

 considered, it is suggested that either protection or controlled 

 departmental burning may be adopted, whichever is cheaper. Sat 

 regeneration areas must, however, be rigidly protected, once the 

 regeneration has been satisfactorily started. (Controlled burning 

 before a big seed year, to expose the mineral soil, and to induce 



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