POTLATCH TIMBER PROTECTIVE ASSOCIATION 



comb, Supervisior of the St. Joe National Forest, with headquar- 

 ters at St. Maries. 



I can not add anything to what I said in my annual report 

 of last year regarding our pleasant relations with these gentle- 

 men and the organization they so ably represent. The same un- 

 failing courtesy, the same practical, helpful co-operation marked 

 our dealings this year as last. No trouble whatever was exper- 

 ienced in getting our funds promptly. 



COOPERATION WITH FOREST SERVICE 



For several years we have had an arrangement with the For- 

 est Service under which that portion of the Palouse Division of 

 the St. Joe National Forest which lies within the boundaries of 

 this association has been protected and patrolled through the 

 co-operation of the two organizations. This arrangement seemed 

 best for the reason that a small congressional appropriation made 

 it impossible for the Forest Service to assign as many men to this 

 territory as the area needs to insure efficient service. The fact 

 that the State of Idaho, as w r ell as a number of other association 

 members and contributors, have large and valuable holdings in 

 this national forest made it imperative that some arrangement be 

 made, without conflict of authority, whereby all timber in this 

 territory would be fully protected. 



With this end in view a contract w^as entered into by and be- 

 tween this association and the Forest Service whereby it was ar- 

 ranged that the Forest Service guards were to be assigned patrol 

 units of the same size as the units generally covered by the pa- 

 trolmen of this association and we were to look after the balance 

 of this forest with our own men. Each organization was to pay 

 and board its men, but any extraordinary expense incurred in em- 

 ploying and providing for extra men for fighting fires was to be 

 pro rated on the basis of 58 per cent to be borne by the Forest 

 Service and 42 per cent to be borne by this association. These 

 percentages represent the ratio of vacant government land to that 

 of association members in this forest. The arrangement has al- 

 ways worked very well in actual practice. 



Our large fires in the vicinity of Bovill ran well into this co- 

 operative district, crossing the Forest Reserve line in a number 

 of places. Bills, covering its pro rata share of the expense of 

 these fires, have been rendered on the Forest Service. They total 

 $14,157.90, have been approved after a careful audit, and I have 

 no doubt will be paid with reasonable promptness. 



Soon after our Bovill fires were gotten under control Super- 

 visor Holcomb and some of his subordinates made an extended 

 personal inspection of the burned over area for the purpose of 



