4-02 



RECREATION. 



compensation, constitute the State forest 

 commission, which shall see to the admin- 

 istration of the act. The act provides for 

 fire wardens in the various counties of the 

 State and a chief fire warden to super- 

 intend forest-fire control, at a salary of 

 $500 a year and his expenses. He is em- 

 powered to spend $5,000 a year for fire con- 

 trol, as he sees fit, for fire patrol and pre- 

 vention in other ways. The parish fire war- 

 dens are to receive $2 a day for time spent 

 in this work, two-thirds from their parish 

 and one-third from the State. The fire 

 wardens are empowered to call on all citi- 

 zens to assist them in times of fire or danger 

 of fire. Willful, negligent, or careless set- 

 ting of forest fires that cause injury are 

 punishable by a fine of not over $500 or 

 imprisonment for not over 10 years, or 

 both. 



The law further provides that leaving . 

 campfires unquenched, using combustible 

 wads in firearms, or carrying naked torches 

 in forests shall be punished, whether in- 

 jury result or not, by a fine of not more 

 than $100 or imprisonment for 3 months. 

 The same penalties hold for defacing warn- 

 ing placards. Railroads are required to 

 clear their right of way 50 feet on each 

 side of their lines. Under this act Mr. 

 A. W. Crandall becomes the commissioner 

 of forestry. » 



This act is a step in the right direction, 

 and viewed from the standpoint of a be- 

 ginning on the part of the State is highly 

 commendable; but the actual usefulness 

 will be questionable. In the first place 

 desirable men can not be secured to devote 

 their attention to the work for $500 a year. 

 A State whose forests are so important 

 to its greatness as those of Louisiana are, 

 can not afford to be niggardly in their 

 protection. Let us hope that its citizens 

 will continue their beginning in forest pro- 

 tection, and in the next Legislature pass a 

 bill which will really protect. 



BUREAU OF FORESTRY FIELD WORK. 



In addition to its large force engaged in 

 forest reserve work, the Bureau of Forestry 

 has had this season 116 trained men in the 

 field. Of these, 68, scattered through 26 

 States, have been studying commercial 

 trees, making forest working plans for 

 wood lots and large timber tracts, and 

 gathering data invaluable for the proper 

 management of wooded areas. The remain- 

 ing 48 experts, divided among 10 States, 

 have been studying means of replacing the 

 forest on lands from which it has been de- 

 nuded, making planting plans for tracts 

 which have never been forested, and plant- 

 ing the federal forest reserves. 



Nearly all the men have returned to the 

 Bureau office in Washington. The infor- 

 mation and figures which they have gathered 



will be worked over and condensed by the 

 office force this winter and put into shape 

 for practical use under their direction. 



These experts, in covering their various 

 territories, are zealous missionaries in the 

 cause they serve, for wherever their work 

 carries them, the purpose of forestry, its 

 methods and its incalcuable importance to 

 the general welfare of the nation are under- 

 stood, appreciated and applied as never be- 

 fore. 



Among the large pieces of work done 

 this season, special mention should be made 

 of the working plan made for 40 town- 

 ships in Washington and Idaho belonging 

 to the Northern Pacific Railroad. This 

 work was done by Assistant Forest In- 

 spector Chittenden, who will prepare a de- 

 tailed report of his operations and the rec- 

 ommendations to the company, which will 

 be published by the Bureau in the spring. 

 Forest Assistant C. S. Chapman did a simi- 

 lar piece of work on the lands of the Wayer- 

 haeuser Company in Washington State. 



AMERICAN FOREST CONGRESS. 

 During the week of January 2 to January 

 6, 1905, there will be held the largest and 

 most important meeting of men interested 

 in the forestry and irrigation movements 

 that has ever assembled in this country. It 

 is expected that every man connected with 

 the federal forest and reclamation service 

 and all the professional foresters of the 

 country will attend the meeting. 



This Congress is called by the American 

 Forestry Association to consider the forests 

 in their relation to the great industries 

 closely dependent on them, such as lumber- 

 ing, transportation, irrigation, mining and 

 stock raising, and to forward the conserv- 

 ative use of the forest resources of the 

 country to meet the present and future 

 needs of these great industries. 



The President of the United States will 

 deliver an address before the Congress and 

 receive its delegates in a reception at the 

 White House. 



Besides the foresters and engineers di- 

 rectly in charge of the forestry and recla- 

 mation work of the Government, there will 

 be present delegates from the various lum- 

 bermen's associations, mining, stockmen's, 

 farming and wood-working associations, 

 engineering societies and many other rep- 

 resentative organizations. 



The faculty and students of the Yale 

 Forest School will attend. Arrangements 

 have been made to have several formal lec- 

 tures given by prominent men to the forest 

 school students as a regular part of the 

 Congress. 



The program of addresses and procedure 

 will be announced in the next number of 

 Recreation. 



