Report of the Forest Commission. 13 



From the Penal Code. 



Section 413, Sub. 4. A person who, having been lawfully ordered to 

 repair to the place of a fire in the woods and assist in extinguishing it, 

 omits without lawful excuse to comply with the order is guilty of a 

 misdemeanor. 



Firewarden for the Town of . 



For the past ten years the forest regions of New York have 

 been continuously and faithfully posted with these notices. As 

 a result the people have been educated in regard to the use of 

 fire to a point where carefulness has taken the place of careless- 

 ness. The indifference of former years has been succeeded by a 

 lively interest, while everywhere there seems to be an active 

 desire to co-operate in all measures tending to the suppression of 

 further damage to our forests from fire. 



New York was the first State to formulate and enact practical 

 laws for dealing with this great element of forest destruction. The 

 law of 1885, establishing a Forest Commission, contained the essen- 

 tial features of the present one for the prevention of forest fires. 

 Since then a few other States have adopted the same system.* 

 Maine was the first to follow, the law of that State relating to 

 forest fires having been copied, with but slight change, from that 

 of our own. New Hampshire has a well organized Forest Com- 

 mission of five members, which is working on the same lines. 

 New Jersey and Pennsylvania have, during the past year, estab- 

 lished Commissions also, and active measures are being taken in 

 those States to protect the remainder of their forests from fire. 



The Forestry Commission of Pennsylvania has prepared and 

 introduced a bill in the Legislature which is well adapted to the 

 prosecution of its work. This bill, so far as it relates to forest 

 fires, resembles the law of New York in all essential points. 

 Among the important and commendable provisions in which it 

 differs from our law, is the one providing that the expenses of 

 the firewarden and the posse warned out to fight a forest fire 

 shall not be borne wholly by the town, but that half of the cost 

 shall be reimbursed by the commonwealth. In our law the 

 entire expense of fighting a forest fire and the services of the fire- 

 warden are a town charge. 



* The forestry laws of these States will be found in an appendix. 



