FIFTH NATIONAI, CONSERVATION CONGRESS 309 



Forest Service, the State and the Association cooperate under an informal 

 agreement in looking after the areas along the National Forest boundaries. 



Needed Changes 



The Washington law is good in most respects and protection work in the 

 State is of a high character. However, there is need of radical reform along 

 lines which will free the State Board of Forestry, the State Forester, and the 

 warden force from political influence. At the present time a portion of the State 

 funds are held in readiness to meet emergency fire fighting expenses. The re- 

 sult is that during the ordinary year a balance accumulates which is turned back 

 to the State Treasury because of non-use. Obviously the State appropriation 

 being far too small, the maximum of benefit would be derived if all of the funds 

 were expended in putting on a larger patrol force, leaving to some other agency 

 the raising of funds with which to fight fire. 



At the present time the State Board of Forestry has little voice in the man- 

 agement of State-owned timber land, although approximately 800,000 acres 

 of such land exists. Legislation should be enacted giving control of the manage- 

 ment of such lands to the State Board of Forestry and providing for the 

 retention of such of these lands as are not suited to agricultural use as State 

 Forests. Provision should also be made for adding to the area of these State- 

 owned forests by purchase of cut-over and burned-over areas which are now 

 restocking with a new stand of timber. 



It also seems logical that besides its appropriation for fire protection in gen- 

 eral, which is no more than is done by Oregon and other States without large 

 grant areas of their own, Washington should also contribute additionally on an 

 acreage basis for the specific care of its timber holdings, as does Idaho under the 

 Fallon law. 



WISCONSIN 



IN 1900 Wisconsin ranked first among the lumber-producing States. Since 

 that time its production has rapidly decreased. The present stand of mer- 

 chantable timber in the State is estimated at 29 billion feet, with an average 

 value of $4.00 per thousand. 



The State, at present, owns 400,000 acres held as a forest reserve, and appro- 

 priations providing for annual additions to the area held for this purpose have 

 been made by the legislature. 



In 1867 a law was passed providing for a commission to investigate forest 

 conditions in the State. Later (1887) another commission presented plans for 

 the organization of a forestry department. This action was not taken, however, 

 until 1903. 



At this time the law created a State fire warden and gave him power to appoint 

 such town fire wardens as were necessary. In 1905, a revision of the law changed 

 the existing commission to the present State Board of Forestry, set aside for 

 forestry purposes all State lands in the northern part of the State, and made 

 railroad companies liable for damage resulting from fires originating on their 

 rights-of-way. 



