78 



THE IKRIGATION AGE. 



it. Herein lies the difficulty of private forestry on 

 a large scale. Timber land owners are interested in 

 the protection of their standing timber merely as 

 insurance. Most of them are not interested in for- 

 est production, or in protecting cut-over lands if 

 that involves substantial annual charges and is not 

 necessary in order to protect their remaining stand- 

 ing timber. As yet the problem of cut-over private 

 lands is unsolved. It is now devolving on the state 

 to aid in their protection from fire in the interest 

 of its own citizens. It will require the utmost re- 

 sources of state and federal government together 

 to handle this problem of getting reasonable pro- 

 tection of private forests and permanent produc- 

 tion of timber on cut-over lands. Stability of policy 

 and permanence of ownership are essential to any 

 successful attack on this great conservation 

 problem. 



This principle of stability of policy of admin- 

 istration is a large factor in successful handling of 

 public property and has been consistently con- 

 sidered in the national forest work. I am frequently 

 asked as I travel about the country whether I am 

 going to make important changes in the forestry 

 policy. I was asked that very often in 1910, when 

 I first took office. I am asked it often this year. My 

 answer is that what we are seeking is not changes 

 but the development of a permanent public enter- 

 prise with consistent and stable policies. The na- 

 tional forests were set aside in the recognition that 

 the bulk of these lands should be handlel perma- 

 nently under public protection and control. Pro- 

 vision was made for the acquisition of agricultural 

 lands that might best be developed under private 

 ownership, and such areas are now being classified 

 and segregated from the forests very rapidly. The 

 successful handling of the national forests requires 

 annual expenditures in administration and protec- 

 tion and in development of roads, trails, telephones, 

 buildings, and other improvements necessary for 

 proper administration. We seek, therefore, as fast 

 as possible to develop through classification the 

 permanent boundaries of the forest land, and the 

 management of it according to definite far-sighted 

 plans that will make for the best results of all ex- 

 penditures in the long run. The result sought is an 

 efficient business administration, a proper and ade- 

 quate forestry practice, and development of the 

 public property in the interests of the people who 

 own it. These simple principles have been kept in 

 mind since the first organization of the work by 

 Mr. Pinchot, who was more than any other one man 

 responsible for what has been accomplished in for- 

 estry in this country. 



The national forests have now been under ad- 

 ministration fifteen years, and under the Forest 

 Service for eight years. The aim of the present 

 administration is not to overturn, but to take every 

 possible step to increase efficiency of the organiza- 

 tion, to adjust difficulties, and advance as fast as 

 possible the purposes for which the national forests 

 were established. Secretary Houston recently said 

 to me regarding the national forests : 



"Establish permanent boundaries. Classify 

 your lands ; segregate the agricultural land and fix 

 right limits for what is needed as protective and 

 productive forests. Develop permanent policies 



based on full recognition of lasting public interests, 

 and settled forestry practice fitted to the individual 

 needs of each forest and locality. Study efficiency ; 

 make any changes necessary for this purpose, but 

 make no changes that are not clearly called for in 

 the public interest. Carry out your plans for the 

 development and increasing use of the forests, but 

 above all, make each forest work for community 

 upbuilding and local as well as general welfare. We 

 must always have in mind the men and women 

 who are building up a new country and laying the 

 foundations for prosperous, thriving common- 

 wealths. We must try to study their needs and 

 see where and how the forests can help them. But 

 we must not cease to guard effectively against the 

 evils of private privilege and monopolistic control 

 of resources now the property of the public." 



The first important result of national forestry 

 is a demonstration that the forests can be protected 

 from fire. It was only a few years ago that many 

 asserted this to be impossible. In the northwest the 

 smoke season was as inevitable as the rainy season 

 of winter, and this was not merely the result of 

 clearing land, but from forest fires. It is only re- 

 cently that our own forest officers have regarded 

 lookout stations as feasible in certain places ; for 

 lookout stations are useless if smoke hides the 

 view. This year has been the worst in many re- 

 spects of all years in California because of the fre- 

 quency of lightning fires. Yet the lookout 'sta- 

 tions on only two forests, and then only for a short 

 time, were out of commission because of smoke ; 

 and the smoke came from fires on private lands. This 

 year in California there were over 1,100 fires on the 

 timbered areas. These were kept down to an aver- 

 age of a little over 20 acres per fire. This was done 

 by an effective fire organization and through the 

 means of the trails, telephones, and lookout system. 

 In one storm lightning set over twenty fires on 

 one forest. It takes swift and efficient work to 

 handle such a situation. The results so far attained 

 show that fires can be mastered. But it is necessary 

 first to put the forest in a condition to enable the 

 force to prevent fires, to detect those which start 

 promptly, and to reach them quickly. The Forest 

 Service is developing a system of lookout stations, 

 fire lines, trails, and telephone lines that ultimately 

 will make the forests secure. Already the force is 

 able to save every year property valued at many 

 million dollars through the improvements so far 

 built, although as yet only a beginning has been 

 made. This work is carried on according to a 

 definite plan, already projected in detail. Each 

 year's work adds 2,500 miles of trails, 3,500 miles 

 of telephones, and many lookouts and other im- 

 provements, progressing toward the final scheme. 

 Until that is completed the forests can not be made 

 entirely secure. With that development the forest 

 fires can be handled even in that exceptionally dry 

 year that occasionally comes to every region. 



This protection not only saves the trees from 

 destruction or injury, but already the effect is 

 shown in the restocking of many areas where the 

 old fires had prevented reproduction. Personally, I 

 had hardly expected that there would be so quick 

 (Continued on page 86) 



