56 



able that burning will be necessary for three consecutive 

 years before the inflammable debris will be removed, to 

 the extent that genuine protection is afforded. Pol- 

 lowing this period it will be necessary to burn only at 

 intervals of three to five or seven years, depending 

 upon the rate of litter accumulation. It is the repeat- 

 ed cost of burning that makes the practice of Light Btirn- 

 ing prohibitive, if for no other reason. The Light Burn- 

 ing operation carried out by the Red River Liimber Gompay 

 in 1910, cost from 8-75!^ per acre burned, the average 

 costs being approximated at 4712^ per acre. An examin- 

 ation of the area 5 years later by members of th© United 

 States Jorest Service and State forester's office, in- 

 dicated that the fire hazard was just as great, if not 

 worse, than before the area had been Light Burned, The 

 Light Burning work done by the Weed Lumber Company dur- 

 ing the summer of 1920, cost in the neighborhood of fl.OO 

 per acre. It is the intention of the Company to burn ■&» 

 same area again in 1921, at an estimated cost of 50^ per 

 acre. If this is carried out asiplanned, an area of 

 17,000 acres of timberland will be protected from fire 

 to a certain extent for not more than 6 j^ears, at a cost 

 of about $25, 500.00. In order to fully protect this biiined 

 area, the adjacent t imberlands must be similarly burned. 

 It is obvious that, costs being similar, it would be fin- 

 ancially impossible to Light Burn areas of any great ex- 

 tent, as the forest lands administered by the Forest Ser- 

 vice in California. 



