PROTECTION OF THE NATIONAL FORESTS. 73 



that any violation of such rules and regulations shall be punishable by a fine 

 of not more than $500, or imprisonment for not more than 12 months, or both. 

 The Secretary, in the exercise of this authority, promulgated Regulation T-l 

 to insure care with fires and thus protect National Forest resources. 



Section 52 of the act of March 4, 1909 (35 Stat, 1088), provides a fine of not 

 more than $5,000 ? or not more than two years' imprisonment, or both fine and 

 imprisonment, for willfully setting on fire or causing to be set on fire any 

 timber, underbrush, or grass upon the public domain or for leaving or suffering 

 a fire to burn unattended near any timber or other inflammable material. 



Section 53 of the same act provides a fine of not more than $1,000, or not 

 more than one year's imprisonment, or both fine and imprisonment, for failure 

 to totally extinguish a fire built in or near any forest, timber, or other inflam- 

 mable material upon the public domain before leaving it. 



Offenders can be prosecuted under either of these acts. The United States, 

 having all of the legal remedies of a private citizen, can, in addition to criminal 

 prosecution, bring civil suit to recover damages for loss by fire. 



INNOCENT AND WILLFUL TRESPASS. 



Cases in which fire spreads after all reasonable precautions are taken, or 

 where the fire is entirely the result of accident, will be considered innocent, and 

 only actual or compensatory damages will be demanded. 



All cases where fires are set maliciously, or allowed to spread through gross 

 carelessness or neglect, or in violation of any Federal or State law, are willful, 

 and criminal prosecution will be instituted as well as action for damages. 



DESTRUCTION OF TIMBER NOT THE ONLY DAMAGE. 



It is evident from the purposes and uses of the National Forests that the 

 destruction of mature standing timber is not the only actual damage done by 

 fire for which compensation may be claimed. Injury or destruction of smaller 

 trees, fit for posts or fuel, young seedlings or saplings of all species, forage, 

 and the productivity of the soil are all losses which the courts have recognized. 

 Damage to a watershed is a loss no less real but more difficult to estimate. 



REWARDS. 



Provided Congress continues to make the necessary appropriation or authorize 

 the payment thereof, the Department of Agriculture will pay the following 

 rewards: 



First. Not exceeding $250 and not less than $50 for information leading to 

 the arrest and conviction of any person, in any United States court, on the 

 charge of willfully and maliciously setting on fire, or causing to be set on fire, 

 any timber, underbrush, or grass upon the lands of the United States within a 

 National Forest. 



Second. Not exceeding $100 and not less than $25 for information leading 

 to the arrest and conviction of any person, in any United States court, on the 

 charge of building a fire on lands of the United. States within a National 

 Forest, in or near any forest timber or other inflammable material, and 

 leaving said fire before the same has been totally extinguished. 



These rewards will be paid to the person or persons giving the information 

 leading to such arrests and convictions upon presentation to the Department of 

 Agriculture of satisfactory documentary evidence. 



All officers and employees of the Department of Agriculture are barred from 

 receiving reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of any 

 person or persons committing either of the above offenses. 



The Department of Agriculture reserves the right to refuse payment of any 

 claim for reward when, in its opinion, collusion or improper methods have 

 been used to secure the arrest and conviction thereunder and to allow only one 

 reward where several persons have been convicted of the same offense or 

 where one person has been convicted of several offenses, unless the circum- 

 stances entitle the claimant to a reward on each such conviction. 



Application for reward should be forwarded to the Forester, Washington, 

 D. C., but a claim will not be entered unless presented within three months 

 from the date of conviction of an offender. 



