R-WUSIT. 



-2- 



2-14-30. 



The UnitcdStates Amy Band furnished music for the occasion, and some of 

 our most distinguished citizens took part in the ■'jrogram. Aseistauit Secr';tar;y' of 

 Agriculture R. l>uhlap» ex-Gov. Gifford Pinchot of Pennsylvania, first chief 

 forester. Senator t-cNary of Oregon, Reoresontat ives Clai'ke of New Yori:, "^Yoodrxiff 

 of Michigan, Enjrjlebr ight of California, Loavitt of Montana, and Major R, Y. Stuart, 

 chief of the United States Forest Service, and others took part in this orogrciin 

 celebrating the 25th birthday of Uncle Sam's Forest §ervice» 



In 1875 our Government took notice of forestry conditions in this country 

 and called attention to our disappearing trees. The United States General Land 

 Office had a forestry department, and the Department of Agriculture had a forestry 

 bureau. On February, first, 1905, these two forestry/ divisions were combined to- 

 gether into one big brajich of the Government known as the Forest Service of the 

 United States Department of Agr iculc-jr^. That was 25 years ago, and there arr now 

 65 men and v.omen still in the Forest Service who witnessed the beginning of this 

 great national bureau. 



According to the stories told at this birthday celebrr^tion, 'old-tioers' in 

 the forest vrork had a colorful history. Some of them told about their pea' t in 

 bringing to an end the bitter range wars between the cattle men and the sheep men 

 over the use of the western rajiges, and the early fights to save the public forests 

 for the use and benefit of the "public. 



One 'old-tl-aer' told an interesting story of the had fire year of 1?10. 

 He 'lad liardly taken his seat when another 'old-timer' rose and told ho\T much worse 

 the fire year of 1929 was. These veterans fight forest fires, keep a watch on the 

 timber, and render many other valuable services to t}ie public. Their lives are 

 lived in close touch with Nature, and they gather stores of forest lore an they 

 keep watch on the towering trees that lift their heads skyward. 



In the 25 years the Forest Service has developed into an organization which 

 today has nearly 2,700 oublic servants -ermanently on its rolls. In addition to 

 this, there are some 2,80''i forest ^;ijards brought in to help fight fires durinp 

 the fire season. Fire is one of the tree's worst enemies in dry regions. It rolls 

 along on the ground until in reach of green foliage, and then leaios from bou^-'.'h to 

 bough until the once beautiful trees are left darkened and ruined sentinels. 

 The Forest Service does everything it can to prevent those costly forest fires 

 which destroy thousands of acres of sx)lendid timorr every year, 



0n3 old-timer calls special attention to the careless way in which 've flip 

 lighted cifars and cigarettes from sr)eeding automobiles out into dry grass along the 

 roadside. This is a little thing, but it has caused the loss of many acres of 

 beautiful ■'nd valuable timber. 'It can be orevented, he pointed out, by thoughtful 

 action on the -oart of smokers. 



In addition to fightiiig fires the Forest Service administers as a mblic 

 propert.y ICO of our National Forests, The total ar^a of these lands amounts to 

 150,000,000 acres. That's an area about the size of Texas which these Forest 

 Service ven look after all the time. That's no little job. 



That is not all the Forest Service does. In ad:.ition to tV.is direct pro- 

 tection and supervision of o\ir National forests, the Forest Service cooperates 

 with the States in fire protection to the extent that some degree of organized 

 fire -orotection is given to nearly two-thirds of the entire forest area of the 

 country. 



