The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-12-17
WORK OF THE RANGERS
superintendent Collins Writes of
the Forest Reserve.
THE RECORD OF THE YEAR
Fires Have Been Checked and the Des-
truction OF Timber Prevented-Many
Game Law Violaters, Too,
Have Been Arrested.

f reserve force throughout Tile CHlteu
States during the past year has al
ready been fully and very comprehen-
sively recited in the annual report of
the honorable commissioner of the
general land office for the year end
ing June so, 1899, a summary of which
appeared in your columns a few weeks
ago. 1t may be interesting to the peo-
pie of Montana to know more in detail
I what the force has done in the state
& during the year now coming to a close.
! At the beginning of the year we had
in Montana but three supervisors and
six rangers, besides the superintendent
BY proclamation of the president, dat
ed Feb. 10, 1899, the Galatin forest re-
serves were created. These reserves
are located in Gallatin county, COM
mencing about six miles south of Boze-
man, and embrance an area of 40,320
acres. In May the force of rangers
began 10 be increased, and by July we
had force of "a in the field, besides the
three SUPERVISORS and the superintend-
ent, divided as follows: In the Flat
head forest reserve w. j. Bremen,
Il. supervisor and y rangers; in the Lewis
and Clarke forest reserve, Gust Moser,
supervisor, and II rangers; in the Bit
ter Root forest reserve, J. b Weber, SUI
Iervisor and eight rangers, and in the
Gallatin forest reserve, two rangers
under the direct charge of the super
intendent.
The different reserves are divided into
patrol districts to correspond to the
number of rangers employed in each.
The duties Of the rangers have already
been fully set forth and are by this
time familiar to the public. Forest
+ divided into three
classes. Fires of the first class are
camp or small fires left burning, which
were extinguished by the forest Off
GERS; fires of the second class are fires
which had gained considerable head
way when discovered mot included in
The first class, which We're eXtinguish-
ed; fires of the third class are large
and important fires requiring eXtraord-
mary effort, time and expense to ex-
ainguish (not included in the second
class, which We're eXtinguished
The record, of fires occurring within
and near the reserves in Montana from
August, 1898, to December. 1899, is as
follows:
Flathead forest reserve-F'ires of the
first class, +: fires of the second class,
7; fires of the third class ?; total, 16;
total area burned over II acres; vol
unteers, 80. No expense.
Lewis and Clarke forest reserve
Fires of the first class, IS: fires of the
second class, o. UTGS bl the llllu CldSS,
.; total, 26: total area burned over, 216
acres; volunteers, 8; total extra eX-
pense SIS.
Bitter Root forest reserve-Fires of
the first class, 80; fires of the second
class. 81 fires of the third class, /; total
80; total area burned over, $50 acres;
volunteers, 5; total extra expense,
s10.75
Gallatin forest reserves-Fires of the
first class, 1; no volunteers; no expense.
A number of these fires occurred be-
yond the limits of the reserves, but Dor
dering same and would have commune
Gated to the reserves had they not been
extinguished. Considering the area Of
the reservations in Montana-504, 600
acrs--that burned over, a total of $40
acres, at an extra expense of only
$25T5 is a remarka Bile small percentage
and is conclusive evidence of the
watchfulness and vigilance of the for
est reserve rangers and demonstrates
the effectiveness of the patrol system.
The most extensive fire, the one of the
third class, occurring in the Bitter Root
reserve, Sept. 81, 1899 burned over $50
acres, was not within the limits of the
reserve proper, but bordering same.
and but for the determined efforts Of
Supervisor Weber and two assistants,
would have communicated to the dense
timber in the reserve and the extensive
forest fires of 1889 been repeated. In
most instances the cause of these fires
arose from campers leaving the fire
unextinguished when leaving camp.
Lightning caused some and inc one or
two instances it is believed they We're
purposely set, but not sufficient evil
dence was obtained to warrant legal
proceedings against the supposed Of
tenders
When not engaged in active patrol of
their respective districts the ranger
force have been engaged in cutting new
trails and roads through different por-
tions of each reserve. This is for the
purpose of establishing more direct
communication between the headquaT-
tiers of the rangers and of opening up
means of travel for the public where
same is deemed advisable. In several
instances the rangers have materially
aided the county commissioners in
clearing county roads that pass through
portions of the reserve. BY consent of
the department each of the supervisors
and rangers was appointed deputy
state game and fish warden by the
state board of game and fish commits
Sions and during the season has been
active in the enforcement Of the state
laws pertaining to game and fish. Some
arrests and convictions were success
fully made and the vigilance of the
rangers has very largely prevented the
wholesale slaughter of game that has
annually occurred in the past. Their
presence on the reserve armed with
authority, is a wholesale deterrent, and
Indians, as well as white men, are OBJ
serving the game laws as they never
have before. Under instructions, each
ranger has obtained the names of every
person entering his district in the re-
serve, together with his postoffice
address, the object in entering the re-
serve and length of time they purpose
remaining therein. The object of this
is to know exactly who are in the re-
serve, so in case of fires or infranctiOn
of 40 mr. of the Tl1laS and Tpoul9-
tons, the identity of the Violator may
the easier to ascertained. During the
year but two applications for the pur-
chase of timber from the reserves in
the state We're received aggregating
100000 feet board measure one Of
these was granted and the other is
now being considered. 1t is believed
that manN more applications to Mnr-