R-1I_8-31-31 



- 3 - 



Now let<s turn to a different suiject and observe another phase of wild 

 life and life in the wild; 



I!r. Earl W. Tinker, regional forester of the United States Forest Service, 

 has "been telling ne some of the unusual problems in fire protection in the Super- 

 ior National Forest in Minnesota. 



As you know, one of the problems of fighting fire anywhere is getting 

 the fire fighters to the fire and getting them there promptly. 



In most of our forests, there are a network of roads and trails designed 

 to permit fast travel. But in the Superior National Forest we have some 1,000 

 square miles set aside as a primitive area, where there are no roads, and prac- 

 tically'no trails. It is a wild country, with little human habitation, but 

 plenty of game such as noose, and deer, and wolves, and other fur animals. And 

 what's more it is interlaced with a labyrinth of waterways, lakes, and great 

 areas of spruce and muskeg swamp, 



Mr, Tinker sa;7s it is practically impassable to foot travel in summer. 

 The cruising of timber and other activities of the Forest Service are done in 

 winter when the lakes and swamps and streams are frozen and dog teams can be 

 used for t ransportation. The usual way to get around in summer is by canoe and 

 portage — and tliat is slow work — too slov7 for men going to a fire. One and 

 one-half miles an hour is considered high speed in that region. 



To meet that situation, the Forest Service plans to improve the portages 

 and on the chief travel routes to install light tracks over which fire equipment 

 can be moved faster. They also plan to improve the water routes by installing 

 dams to do away with slow portage v/ork. Hydroplanes have proved a great success 

 in rapid transportation of small fire-fighting crews. By the use of planes, 

 small crews have been carried to the scene of a forest fire in the Superior 

 National Forest in 30 minutes where previously it took a day and half. 



'■ . . . 



ANNOUNCJJ/SNT: We will have another visit with Uncle Sam's Naturalists two weeks 



from todry. Station presents these talks every other week. They 



are prepared by the United States Department of Agriculture, 



