96 THE USE BOOK. 



effective protection for the public domain, only in the 

 forest reserves can the Government give the help so 

 urgently needed. 



Through its fire patrol the Forest Service undertakes 

 to guard the property of the resident settler and miner, 

 and preserve the timber, water, and range upon which 

 the prosperity of all industries depends. The help it 

 can give to the development of the West may be greatly 

 increased by the cooperation of citizens. Destructive 

 forest fires are not often set willfully, but far too com- 

 monly they result from failure to realize that care- 

 lessness will be followed by injury and distress to oth- 

 ers. The resident or the traveler in forest regions who 

 takes eveiy precaution not to let fire escape, and who 

 is active in extinguishing fires which he discovers, con- 

 tributes directly to the development and wealth of the 

 country and to the personal safety and profit of him- 

 self and his neighbors. He who does not, assumes a 

 great responsibility by endangering not only his own 

 welfare but that of countless others. 



Citizens' fire brigades have been organized success- 

 fully on many reserves. Not only is the prevention of 

 fire to the interest of all property owners, but men 

 under obligation to fight fire because they hold permits 

 will profit greatly by such prevention, because it 

 reduces the work which they may be called upon to do. 

 An organization which will put out a fire before it 

 gathers headway may save them many days' hard work. 



Residents in the vicinity of reserves, and especially 

 those holding permits of any kind, are urged to cooper- 

 ate with the forest officers by holding themselves in 

 readiness to respond with a fixed number of men to a 



