At the present time more than 7,500,000 acres out of approximately 13,000,000 

 acres in the co-operative area established by the Government and the 

 State Forester are being brought under the direct influence of this patrol 

 work. Every resident within each of the patrol districts becomes ac- 

 quainted with the efforts of the State and Government to prevent the wide- 

 spread and destructive burning of woodlands. More than 90 per cent of 

 these people have registered their approval. They perhaps have not 

 realized before what damages result from fires or as more than one of 

 them has stated, "What is every man's business is nobody's business." As 

 soon as they learn that the State of Texas is using its efforts to suppress 

 fires, they are willing and glad to assist. When this sentiment develops, 

 it becomes unsafe for irresponsible persons to set out fires and allow them 

 to run at large. 



Under the Weeks Law it is possible to secure an allotment of not to 

 exceed ten thousand ($10,000) dollars annually from the Federal Govern- 

 ment when State funds for the same purpose amount to at least the same 

 amount. The State Forester hopes to secure from the Legislature suffi- 

 cient appropriations so that the entire co-operative area may be patrolled 

 for at least four months of the year. The boundaries of the co-operative 

 area should be extended to include the entire East Texas Timber Belt, and 

 the forest lands of Central Texas, particularly counties where cedar brakes 

 furnish an important revenue and where the maintenance of wooded slopes 

 is important to conserve the supply of water in the streams. The necessity 

 of carrying out other important lines of work by the State Forester makes 

 it impracticable to expend more than 25 per cent of the forestry appropria- 

 tion on fire prevention work. 

 Examination of the Forest Resources of Texas. 



One of the duties of the State Forester specifically mentioned in the 

 Forestry Act of 1915 is to collect data relative to forest conditions. This 

 work has been carried on throughout the eastern timber belt in conjunction 

 with the fire protective work. The Agent of the State Forester in East 

 Texas has visited every county, talked with county officials, lumbermen, 

 operators in forest products, land owners and others and has made ex- 

 tended trips into the several counties for the purpose of observing first 

 hand the extent of resources and the condition of the forests. It has not 

 been possible in the space of one year to make detailed surveys of condi- 

 tions and resources although it is planned to do so, county by county, as 

 soon as the work becomes more fully organized and funds and men are 

 available for the purpose. iSuch detailed surveys will not only cover the 

 great timber belt of Eastern Texas but all the counties where forest prod- 

 ucts are marketed or where forests exist which should be conserved and 

 properly utilized. 



The results of county examinations already made in Eastern Texas, 

 while preliminary in character and lacking the collusiveness which is 

 possible only by an actual survey of every portion of the counties, have 

 furnished the State Forester with a vast amount of information valuable to 

 the pursuit of his work. Estimates of standing timber and outputs of forest 



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