XVi 
FOREWORD 
GROWTH ON BURNED 
LAND. 
Twenty-six year old growth 
of white birch and poplar on 
burned land. 
Photo by Maine Forestry Dept. 
While we speak more fre- 
quently of the lands in the Maine 
Forestry District, not by any 
means are all our timberlands con- 
fined within its boundaries. There 
-is much valuable timber, both of 
soft wood and hardwood species, - 
distributed throughout our organ- 
ized townships outside the Disrict; 
and in recent years the loss from 
woods fires in lands outside the 
District frequently has been. 
greater than the fire loss in the 
timberlands lying within the Dis- 
trict.- The timber loss is not the: 
only consideration in case of woods 
fires in the settled portions-.of the 
State, as other valuable property,. 
such as cordwood, sawed lumber, 
fences, and sometimes even farm 
buildings are destroyed. 
Ever since I became Forest 
Commissioner I have been trying 
for better protection for these 
lands outside the District. As or- 
ganized towns they have their 
town officers who are charged with 
looking after their town affairs; 
but I have always felt that in mat- 
ters of fire protection for tim- 
berlands, the Forest Commissioner, 
though not responsible, should co- 
operate with the local authorities 
and lend every assistance possible. 
So the Department has kept in 
touch with each board of Selectmen: by means of letters and 
circulars, has assisted in enforcing the slash law by keeping 
a slash inspector working in the lower part of the State, has 
furnished a considerable number of fire signs for posting; and, 
most important of all, has made a beginning in systematic 
