290 REPORT OF THE FORESTRY COMMITTEE 



Operation to that end by forest owners, the State of Cahfornia, and the Govern- 

 ment of the United States." Little was done tending directly toward this pur- 

 pose during the season of 1913, the main efforts of the Association being directed 

 toward securing increased membership. 



Later the Association distributed among its members copies of the regular 

 cooperative fire protection agreement offered forest owners by the Forest Service, 

 and urged upon them its advantages. During the last legislative session, the sec- 

 retary of the Association did signal service toward securing the passage of the 

 conservation commission's forest fire bill. 



The Association has not, however, made any decisive effort toward fostering 

 cooperative preventive patrol on the lands of its members, possibly because there 

 is dissension in its ranks as to the proper method- — some influential members 

 still holding to the "light burning" theory. 



One result of the lumbermen's meeting in San Francisco, in 1909, was the 

 formation of the Redwood Fire and Protective Association, composed of four 

 operating redwood companies in Mendocino County. This Association, while 

 covering a relatively small area, is actively engaged in organized preventive work, 

 maintains a field force, and in addition to patrol has made good progress on a 

 carefully planned fire-line system. 



Next to the lumbermen, the citrus fruit growers in Southern California have 

 evinced more substantial interest in fire prevention than all other industries in 

 the State. Their interest has taken form of organized cooperative effort, which, 

 through the Forest Service protection systems on the Angeles, Cleveland, and 

 Santa Barbara Forests, has produced cash results. As an instance, the San 

 Antonio Fruit Exchange after the picking season assesses its members one cent 

 a box on oranges, and as a result holds subject to expenditure under the direction 

 of the Forest Supervisor a sum of $4,000 for employing patrolmen, building fire 

 lines or trails on the watersheds in which its members are interested. 



The most delinquent industry in the State is the railroads. One of these 

 has also the largest interests at stake; being the owner of enormous acreage of 

 timber land. Its land department has, apparently, no fire protection policy. In 

 one part of the State its local land agents cooperate quite effectively with the 

 National Forest officers, while in another they do little or nothing. All of the 

 railroads, however, have been more than willing to help in publicity campaigns 

 for educating the public in the necessity for care with fire in the woods. 



As a result of the lesson of the recent Tamalpais fire, there has been in 

 process of formation (August 30, 1913) the Mount Tamalpais Protective Asso- 

 ciation, which proposes to employ a forester and install a protective system 

 throughout southern Marin County. 



The Federal Government, through the Forest Service, maintains a protective 

 system on approximately 38,000,000 acres — or one-third of the forest and brush 

 area of California. The system comprises about 850 men in the field during the 

 dry season ; 90 lookout stations manned and equipped with fire detecting devices ; 

 over 3,000 miles of government-owned 'phone lines and connections with an 

 equal mileage of private lines; patrol stations; tool and supply caches; motor- 



