A F0RE;ST at the foot of mount SHASTA, CALIFORNIA: THIS CONDITION IS THE 



RESULT OF REPEATED FIRES 



mountain regions is the disturbance of 

 the regularity of water flow and the 

 erosion which under certain conditions 

 causes great damage. 



The total annual damage from forest 

 fires, including the destruction of timber 

 and other property, the destruction of 

 young growth, the prevention of young 

 growth, and all the indirect injurious 

 efl^ects, is difficult to estimate. It lias 

 been generally accepted that the damage 

 to timber alone has amounted to at least 

 25 million dollars annually. The annual 

 destruction of immature trees and young 

 growth probably totals fully 20 million 

 dollars, while the injury resulting from 

 the actual prevention of reproduction is 

 at least 60 million dollars more. This 

 inust be considered in connection with 

 the drain on our forests for products 

 actually used in the form of timber, 

 poles, ties, mine props, fuel, etc. 



It means but little to the layman to say 

 that we use each year over 40 billion 

 feet of lumber, or 23 billion cubic feet 

 of all classes of wood, including fuel. 

 Suffice it to say, that it requires 8 to 10 



million acres of well-stocked forest, such 

 as occurs in the East, to provide one 



year's supply. 



FOREST FIRES CAN BE PREVENTED 



When the reader realizes that the pro- 

 duction of timber by growth is only 

 about one-third the amount used (and 

 in this statement no account is taken of 

 the vast destruction by forest fires), he 

 will appreciate how imperative it is that 

 we stop the fires and also that we intro- 

 duce forestry methods, in order that we 

 may produce new supplies to meet the 

 needs when the virgin stock is exhausted. 



The old view, that forest fires are 

 inevitable and that no system can be de- 

 vised to prevent them, is obsolete. It has 

 been clearly demonstrated within the last 

 few years that by proper organization 

 forest fires can be prevented. But if the 

 forests are neglected forest fires cannot 

 be prevented, any more than city fires 

 can be prevented without an efficient and 

 well-equipped fire department. 



We have had great losses by forest 

 fires because adequate steps have not 



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