Los Angeles herald., 1906-05-15
TELLS WORK OF
FOREST SERVICE
SEASONS PLANS OUTLINED BY
SUPERVISOR LUKENS
Range Force TO Be Greatly Increased
IN Endeavor to Prevent All
Fires During the Sum-
mer Months

As the summer months come on,
when the call Of the wild grows too
strong for many at the desk, then there
is great danger OF forest fires, As
precaution against these fires the forest
service puts forth its best effort to
keep them from even starting. On
April 20 six additional forest guards
we're appointed, and on May 20 ten
more Will help patrol the reserve OF San
Gabriel and San Bernardino.
"1n the summer there is great danger
from fires" said Acting Forest Super
visor T. p. LulJens yesterday, land It is
absolutely necessary to put additional
men on the service. These men gener-
ally serve during the summer months
only, but they are needed during the
winter months to open trails. to make
fire breaks and to prepare the range
for the fires which may come.
During the summer and winter just
past there has been constructed more
than 100 miles of trails and about fifty
miles OF fire lines. These fire lines fol-
low ridges and the brush is cleared from
ten to nifty feet. AS soon as possible
all our mountains must be prepared in
this way. 1t Is hard to do 1t as soon
as It ought to be done with the number
of men we have had. There ought to
be more and l believe we will be able
TO keep many of our summer guards
during the winter months.
although there has not been any
very disastrous fire lately, the people
must not forget that the water supply
is dependent entirely upon the preser-
vation OF tree and brush growth on the
slopes OF our water sheds. And those
living near the mountains should be
especially careful to see that no fire
occurs during the summer months. The
forest service depends to some extent
upon the cooperation of the people who
live near the slopes In checking the
fires.
Where the fires have already done
their damage trees are being planted
During the last two years some 2500O0
pines and cedars have been planted
where fires have devastated the noun
tains.
Have Large Nurseries
The plan for reforesting which we
have initiated and which has been COM
mended by the government and insti-
tuted in Colorado and New Mexico is,
believe, an excellent one. The nursery
at Heniger flats is in charge of G. w.
Pevey, and there, in hot beds. are
grown the plants which will in five
years make the burned sections appear
as II there has never been fire there
The trees which we planted two years
ago are now two feet high and 65 per
cent of them are growing.
"Shotguns will be excluded from the
range this year, and 1t will not be
necessary, as it was last year, for
hunters to get permission to carry a
rifle or revolver on the range. Par
ticular attention will be given to minors
and other people who are careless on
the range. Rangers are authorized to
arrest or eject those who do not heed
the regulations as to the prevention Of
fires.
"The rangers this season are divided
into three classes-forest guards men
who do not take any civil service exam
nation; assistant forest rangers, men
who are examined along practical
lines, and the forest rangers. These
men receive for their services $50. SIS
and $100 month, respectively. There
are twenty-five guards, seventeen
assistant rangers and three forest
rangers.
During the summer two-thirds Of
these men will patrol the borders Of the
mountains, where most of our fires
start. The remainder will be in the
interior, where there is not so much
danger from fires.
ION May 26 there will be a conven-
tion of the rangers in San Bernardino.
1t will be the object Of this meeting to
exchange methods Of fire fighting and
to have the rangers become better
acquainted with each other.
''It Will be impossible for the forest
service to be. represented in the Fiesta,
as many Of the men find 1t almost i'm
possible to come into the city during
that time. If 1t were possible to have
them come it would please me, but we
will not be in the parade this season"
d Hna ~
pointed acting forest supervisor of the
San Gabriel and San Bernardino re-
serve, and is well qualified for the POSI-
tion. Mr.. Lukens Is man who has
made the reforestration of the noun
tains a study and one who has lived in
the heights and loved them we'll