Forest Fires in the Intermountain Region. ft) 
Much more is really being lost, however, than is indicated by these 
figures. Consider, for example, some of the brush fires which so fre- 
quently occur in the foothills. They run through sagebrush or oak, 
and it is often thought they do no damage. In a great many places 
it will be found that little trees only a few inches high, standing 
perhaps hundreds of feet from their parents, were destroyed by some 
one of these fires. It is hard for evergreen trees to gain a foothold 
on these brushy areas. Their seed may be sown annually for many 
years by parent trees, and yet the whole result will be only a scatter- 
ing growth of little trees. One fire may undo the work of a score of 
years. When the fire is over the older trees again renew their work 
of broadcasting seed. It may happen that within the next 10 or 15 
years enough favorable seasons will occur to allow a meager scatter- 
ing of little trees to start again on the old burn. Once more the 
brush comes in, inflammable débris accumulates, a careless human 
being comes by with a match, and the process starts all over again. 
In time the old parent trees die and fall, leaving no progeny, and the 
brushwood extends a little farther into the mountains. (Fig. 5.) 
The forests are constantly trying to extend themselves into the 
brush lands which produce no timber. To the extent to which they 
succeed they are increasing the productive areas naturally. All they 
want is a chance, but fires once in 20 to 30 years are able to put a 
stop to this entire process. The resultant loss is difficult to estimate. 
LOSS OF FORAGE VALUE. 
Forest fires do not destroy forage values far into the future in the 
way forests are destroyed. Nevertheless, they destroy the growth 
of the present year and sometimes that for several years to come. 
During the last 14 years $50,000 worth of forage has been destroyed 
in the intermountain region. This means the grazing for about 
75,000 cattle for one year. Seventy-five thousand is a large number 
of cattle, and the destruction of forage for so much stock means 
a great deal in this region, even if the next year’s crop comes on all 
right. 
LOSS OF WATERSHED PROTECTION. 
The values previously discussed are very real, and their loss can 
be appreciated by everyone. Much less apparent, but really worst 
of all, are the losses that come through the destruction of watershed 
protection. The greater part of the intermountain region depends 
upon irrigation for its prosperity, and the degree to which this region 
flourishes depends in a very large measure upon the amount, the 
evenness of the flow, and the clearness of this water. There must be 
plentiful supplies so that the water will cover the maximum amount 
of ground. It must flow as evenly as possible through the season 
so that crops will not suffer through lack of late water.. It must be 
reasonably clear water, because water which carries a large amount 
of sediment clogs up dams, ditches, and canals, fills reservoirs, and 
makes irrigation so expensive that its benefits are more than offset 
by its cost. : 
