FO RE S-T RES OUR CORES) OE 2 HE DOUG EE RAGS Sehr le Ree Rs hm Carle OmeN 
Forest Protection 
HE forests of the Douglas-fir region are par- 
ticularly subject to devastating fires—more so 
than those of most of the other forest regions 
of the United States (fig. 18). The dry summer 
climate, the predominance of resinous trees, and 
the great volume of inflammable material all com- 
bine to create an acute fire hazard. During the 
past 25 years this hazard has increased greatly. 
The area of the inflammable types, such as cut-over 
land, has become much larger. Increases in mile- 
age of roads, in motor travel, and in population, and 
the opening of hitherto inaccessible areas to settlers 
have added to the number of forest users and thus 
increased the possibilities of fires starting. In- 
creased logging has left great areas of hazardous 
debris exposed to the drying effect of sun and wind. 
Lightning storms, as well as human activity in many 
forms, are ever present to start fires. In critical 
weather a spark from a logging engine, a land- 
clearing operation, or the cigarette of a passer-by is 
sufficient to account for a major conflagration. 
Under these circumstances systematic fire protec- 
tion is essential both to prevent fires which human 
agencies start and to hold to a minimum the dam- 
age that fire may do. 
Organized fire protection has made great prog- 
ress in the Douglas-fir region in the last two dec- 
ades. Presumably, all forest land in the region is 
now protected against fire. Formerly, saw-timber 
areas were protected intensively while cut-over land 
received very little protection. In the past few 
years, however, particularly since the establishment 
of the Civilian Conservation Corps, protection of 
all lands has been strengthened considerably. 
Federal, State, and private protective agencies 
cooperate closely, and together are responsible for 
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the protection of all forest lands. Where there is a 
commingling of lands differing in ownership, co- 
operative agreements provide for division of the 
area and the assumption of responsibility for pro- 
tection of each division by a single agency. 
Protection on Federal Lands 
The Forest Service is responsible for the protec- 
tion of national-forest lands, amounting to about 
9%, million acres in the Douglas-fir region. In both 
States the Forest Service has contracted with the 
State foresters with fire-patrol associations for 
protection of isolated parcels of national-forest land 
intermingled with private land. 
Steady progress has been made in fire protection 
on the national forests of this region in recent years, 
through increased facilities, better planning, and 
training of personnel in organization and technique. 
Since 1931 the aid received through the Civilian 
Conservation Corps and other emergency programs 
has been applied in construction of new roads and 
trails to make the national forests more accessible 
and reduce the time required to reach fires; con- 
struction and betterment of 
telephone lines to increase the 
tection and “smoke chasing”’; 
guard stations and 
efficiency of fire de- 
building of many 
miles of firebreaks through old burns; and reduc- 
tion of hazards along roads and in especially dan- 
Also, the C. C. C. has furnished a 
mobile fire-fighting force which can be organized 
and trained, held in readiness, and quickly trans- 
ported to fires in organized units. 
gerous areas. 
As a result, fires 
have been attacked more intensively and _ effec- 
tively than is possible where pick-up labor only is 
available. 
