66 SUGGESTED FORESTRY LEGISLATION 



Sec. 2. Forest wardens and deputy forest wardens shall have charge of 

 measures for controlling forest fires; they shall make arrests for violations 

 of the forest laws; shall post along highways and in other conspicuous places 

 copies of the forest fire laws and warnings against fires, which shall be sup- 

 plied by the Geological Board; and they shall perform such other duties as 

 shall be considered necessary by the Geological Board for the protection of 

 forests. The forest wardens of the township in which a fire occurs shall 

 within ten days make such report thereof to the Geological Board as may be 

 prescribed by them. Each deputy forest warden shall promptly report to 

 wardens any fire in his district. 



Sec. 3. Any person who shall maliciously or wilfully destroy, deface, re- 

 move or disfigure any sign, poster or warning notice, posted by order of the 

 Geological Board under the provisions of this or other act for the purpose of 

 protecting the forests in this State from fire, shall be guilty of a misde- 

 meanor and upon conviction shall be punishable by a fine of not less than ten 

 dollars or more than fifty dollars or imprisoned not exceeding thirty days. 



Sec. 4. Any person discovering any forest fire shall immediately give 

 notice to the nearest forest warden or deputy forest warden in that or ad- 

 joining townships. All ablebodied male persons between eighteen and forty- 

 five years of age can be summoned by forest wardens or deputy forest war- 

 dens to assist in extinguishing forest fires and shall be paid for such services 

 at a rate not to exceed fifteen (15) cents per hour. Any person summoned 

 by a forest warden or his deputy and not attending, without reasonable ex- 

 cuse, shall be subject to a fine of five ($5) dollars. 



Sec. 5. Forest wardens and deputy forest wardens shall have the same 

 power as deputy sheriffs, so far as the provisions of this act are concerned. 

 Neither forest wardens nor their deputies shall be liable for trespass while 

 acting in the performance of their duties, nor shall any person be held guilty 

 of trespass for going on lands when summoned by an officer to control fire. 



Sec. 6. Forest wardens and deputy forest wardens shall receive compensa- 

 tion from the State at the rate of twenty cents per hour for the time actually 

 engaged in the performance of their duties and reasonable expenses for equip- 

 ment and transportation incurred in fighting or extinguishing any fire, ac- 

 cording to an itemized statement to be rendered the Geological Board every 

 month and approved by them. Forest wardens shall render to the Geological 

 Board a statement of the services rendered by the men employed by them or 

 their deputy wardens, as provided in this act, within one month of the date 

 of service, which said bill shall show in detail the amount and character of 

 the service performed, the exact duration thereof, the name of each person 

 employed, and any other information required by the Geological Board. If 

 said bill be duly approved, it shall be paid by direction of the Geological 

 Board out of the State Treasury; and the State Treasurer is hereby author- 

 ized and required to collect one-half of the wages and expenses incurred by 

 the forest wardens and deputy forest wardens under this section and section 

 three (3) of this act, from the county in which they are incurred. 



Sec. 7. The sum of ten thousand dollars annually is hereby appropriated, 

 out of any moneys in the treasury not otherwise appropriated, for the purpose 

 of carrying out the provisions of this act, the same to be drawn upon as 

 directed by the Geological Board. 



