F0RE;ST officers FQUIPPING THFMSFFVFS to go to forest FIRE: COLORADO 



An important part of the equipment of the forest consists of the tool-boxes, located at 



strategic points 



Northwest several fire protective associa- 

 tions have been formed, through which 

 the lands of the members are handled 

 under a single protective organization. 

 Their example has been followed by 

 lumbermen in certain parts of the Lake 

 States and in northern New England. 

 Very little progress has, however, been 

 made among the owners of large tracts in 

 the South. 



Those States which have initiated a 

 policy of State forests are protecting 

 their public property from fire. These 

 and other States have gone further and 

 are undertaking to aid the private owners 

 in fire prevention. The individual owner 

 is always at a disadvantage if his neigh- 

 bor is careless. 



A great many States have excellent 

 laws for the punishment of carelessness 

 in the use of fire, but only about 14 States 

 have developed a system of protection 

 based on the principle of patrolling the 

 forests to prevent iires, just as is done 

 en the national forests. Under the sys- 

 tem of State patrol the State does not 

 bear the whole burden, but directs the 

 work and contributes such an amount as 

 will insure effective organization. 



The States which have inaugurated 

 such a system are New York, Maine, 

 New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachu- 

 setts, Connecticut, New Jersey, Mary- 

 land, Michigan, Wisconsin, Alinnesota, 

 Washington, and Oregon. Others will 

 soon follow. Pennsylvania has a pro- 

 gressive policy of State forestry, but has 

 not yet introduced a system of patrol 

 on private lands under State direction. 

 These various States have not yet per- 

 fected their organizations, nor have they 

 covered the whole forest areas within 

 their boundaries. They have inaugurated 

 the right policy and need now only 

 money enough to put it into full prac- 

 tice. 



The government extends a certain 

 amount of direct aid to the States in 

 protecting the forests on the watersheds 

 of navigable streams. The Weeks law, 

 passed in March, 191 1, provided $200,000 

 for this purpose. The law requires, how- 

 ever, that no State shall receive more 

 than it appi"Opriates from its own treas- 

 ury for fire protection. In 191 1 ten 

 States received aid from the government 

 under the Weeks law. In 19 12 probably 

 12 will receive such aid. 



