The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1905-12-15
GOVERNMENT EXPERTS ARE NOW
AT WORK IN STATE OF
WASHINGTON.
Result in Throwing Light on Problems
Of Protecting Forests
From Fire.


1857 900 acres of forest land in Wash
ingtOn. In the western part of the
state the work covers 100000 acres.
The results of this work, which will
be continued during the coming year
will be of great value in throwing light
On the problems of protecting these
coast forests from fire and preventing
the present excessive waste in logging,
as well as in developing plan for flu
ture timber production,
The large number of growth and
volume measurements obtained by the
service during the past few years in
this region provides a basis for esti-
mates of present stand and future yield
of the more important timber trees.
From these measurements it appears
that red fir in the region of Puget
Sound is one Of the fastest-growing
trees in the United States, SURPRISING
even the loblolly pine of the south in
height and volume growth. The yield
tables show that larger crops Of tim
Der may be expected from second
growth forests of fir and hemlock than
from any other kind of tree yet stud
led by the service.
Reproduction of fir on logged over
lands is certain and rapid if the lands
are burned over with due precautions
and the mineral soil exposed, but UNI
certain if a proper seed bed is not thus
afforded. This makes slash burning
tions favorable to reproduction.
Forest fires are, however, the great
ing. The forests in this region are
very heavy and the trees are very large
and, consequently, after logging a
great amount of debris is left on the
ground, in the form of tops, rotten logs,
broken-down trees, and underbrush.
Fires easily start in such slashes and
burn over large areas, often extend
ing into the uncut forest. The most
practical method at present of pre-
venting, or at least greatly lessening,
the chance of forest fires under these
peculiar local conditions is by burn
ing the slash as it lies, at the proper
season. This method is now being
tried with success. By extending it to
all cuttings, the danger Of severe for
est fires will be greatly lessened. The
burning should be done from early
April to the middle of May, when the
slash is dry enough to burn, and at the
same time the fire will not run in green
timber. The quick restocking OF the
land with fir which follows burning al
so aids greatly in fire protection
A detailed study of waste in logging
was part of the work called for. Stumps
are now cut on an average about 3
feet high, and in large timber this
means the loss of a great number of
board feet of clear lumber per acre.
Waste also occurs in the use of fir
logs for skids and bridges and in the
leaving of merchantable logs in the
tops. An estimate of this waste will
be made by actual measurement.
In eastern Washington a tract Of st.
900 acres has been examined. The for
est is typical of large region. 1t con-
sists of western yellow pine, fir, and
lodgepole pine. The object Of the own
ers was to determine the practicability
of obtaining a second cut of timber
from the cut-over lands. The field
work occupied a party Of three men
for one month. To secure the basis for
an estimate Of future stand, studies
were made of the volume and rate OF
growth of the important species, the
proportion of small trees left, the
culled forest, and the reproduction
after logging. The growth Of timber
here, though much slower than IN
western Washington, promises we'll for
the future, and the rapid increase in
lumber and stumpage values is a
strong inducement to conservative
numbering By setting high diameter
limit for cutting and by preventing
fire, a fair second cut can be obtained
within a reasonable period, and excel
lent reproduction for later crops will
be secured.