130 PRACTICAL FORESTRY IN 



a need of reducing theory to a sound business basis. Either as 

 associations or through their members the forest protective associa- 

 tions it represents spent about $700,000 in 1910 for patrol and fire 

 fighting to protect the forests of the West. They safeguarded mil- 

 lions of acres of timber, put out many thousand fires, and saved 

 forest resources worth billions of dollars to the community. As a 

 result of their effort the losses in Idaho, Washington and Oregon 

 were kept down to about a quarter of 1 per cent of the privately- 

 owned timber in these States, and this notwithstanding that it was 

 one of the worst fire years in American history. 



While they unite in the Western Forestry and Conservation Asso- 

 ciation, and levy a special assessment to support its work, the local 

 organizations are wholly independent in their actual forest fire work. 

 Their systems vary slightly, but the majority follow the general plan 

 outlined on pages 100-103 of this booklet. 



One of the primary objects and ambitions of the Association is to 

 extend this effort until all the timber owners in the five States do their 

 part and every acre of private forest land is brought under a highly 

 trained and organized service. If the States themselves lend aid 

 and backing this can be made the most efficient fire service in exist- 

 ence, as the most magnificent body of standing timber in the world 

 deserves. 



The Association also employs a trained forester to assist its mem- 

 bers who control timber to install and maintain improved methods 

 of protection, cutting and reforestation. In this way it not only 

 helps those who will to really accomplish the end in view, but by 

 publishing such material as is contained in this booklet makes the 

 experiments serve as object lessons to others. 



Perhaps the most unique function of the Association is to furnish 

 the only common meeting ground and clearing house for the many 

 public and private agencies for forest protection. At its meetings 

 Federal and State officials, representatives of public conservation 

 associations and timber owners join on equal footing, without con- 

 troversy over rights or authority, in discussing practical details of 

 how to accomplish the best results together under conditions as they 

 exist. Every man present is there because he wants to do his part, 

 with his own hands or money, to preserve the forests of the West. 

 He knows what he is talking about and the others are glad to hear 

 him. The result is a mutual understanding and cooperation along 

 practical lines which is of immense benefit to the public whose wel- 

 fare depends largely upon these agencies that really control its forest 

 resources. 



