Los Angeles herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1900-1911, 1909-05-03
USE TELEPHONE
IN FOREST WORK
MANY THOUSANDS SPENT FOR
IMPROVEMENTS
SYSTEM OF TRAILS WILL BE
CONSTRUCTED
Forestry Service Joins States and
Counties in Construction of Good
Roads to Help Fire
Fighters

SIX hundred Thousand uOlldTS Will De
spent during the fiscal year 1908-1909
for the construction of roads, trails,
telephone lines and other permanent
improvements on the national forests.
Congress has appropriated the same
amount for this purpose during the
fiscal year 1909-1910.
In order that the forest rangers may
cover the large area contained in the
district it is very necessary that a
system of trails be constructed along
routes which give the best control of
the areas to be patrolled. In many
districts telephone lines have been
built between the supervisors office
and ranger headquarters, and to prom
inent peaks which are used for look
out stations to observe fires.
To fight forest fires effectively 1t is
of the utmost Importance that force
of men be rushed to the fire as soon as
possible, as these fires can be con-
trolled and put out if taken when they
are small, where 1t would be almost
impossible to check them after they
had spread over a large area. For this
reason the telephone lines and trail
systems are of vital Importance and
have played no small part in the patrol
system which has resulted in the re-
markably small area burned over since
the forests have been under govern
ment supervision.
Range Conditions
Among other necessary improve
ments provided for the service takes
up the matter of the betterment of
range conditions. First, by the con-
struction of drift fences, which are for
the purpose of keeping stock within
the area allotted to them and to save
the time of the herders. Second, by
the improving Of springs and water
ing places. In many sections of the
west large areas have been of no value
on account of the lack of water dur
ing a large portion of the year. By
the fencing and piping of the springs
and providing adequate storage the
service has been able to conserve a
supply of water which enables these
ranges to be used throughout the sea-
son. Third, by the fencing of bog or
mire holes. AS fast as possible places
where the loss of stock from miring in
bog holes has been heavy are being
fenced so that the cattle cannot get
into them. Fourth, by the fencing of
poisonous areas. In certain sections
of Colorado there is poison larkspur
which during the spring season will
poison stock that Craze on 1t. These
places are being fenced and the stock
poisonous season is over, when they
are opened for grazing.
All of the national forests are di-
Vided into districts which are under
the direct supervision of a forest rang
err who looks after the timber cutting
and grazing matters and patrols his
district to detect and prevent forest
fires. AS the national forests are To-
Gated in mountainous and timbered
country and have but few settlements
within their boundaries it Is necessary
to provide these rangers with quarters
convenient to the districts over which
they have charge. These quarters
consist of small house, stable for
his saddle horses. fence enclosing a
pasture for his stock and occasionally
the fencing of a small garden patch
and a small piece of hay land to pro-
vide fodder for the stock during win
ter.
The forest service also co-operates
with the states, counties and commu-
mites in the construction of wagon
roads, trails and bridges, which will
make accessible bodies of mature tim
Der and otherwise assist in the control
and use of the forests. An example
of this cooperation is the Boise-At-
lanta wagon road. This road connects
the city of Boise, Idaho, with the min
ing town of Atlanta, a place of about
300 inhabitants. The road follows up
the Boise river for the entire distance
with the exception! of about seven
miles beginning at point five miles
out from Boise. The entire length of
the road Is about ninety-six miles. At
lanta is situated in the Sawtooth
mountains and is ninety miles from a
railroad. The former outlet was by
wagon road to the town of Mountain
Home. This road follows over high
mountains, and is showed in during
six or seven months of the year.
Subscription Road
The Boise Atlanta wagon road will
be showed in for only two or three
months of the year. The road Is an
old project, about forty miles of it
having been built out from Boise ten
years ago. This work was done by a
fund raised from subscriptions taken
in Boise and Atlanta. In 1905 the road
was extended twenty eight miles,
from funds appropriated by the state
of Idaho. This work brought the road
to the boundary of the Sawtooth ma
tional forest, now the Boise national
forest.
During the summer of 1907 the peo-
pie of Atlanta subscribed $500, the
Commercial club of Boise $500, the
state appropriated about $4,000 and the
IOreSL SOfNlC0 P1OVOB a SOldA
of $4,000, with which the old road was
put in proper repair, and a little less
than twenty miles of very difficult
mountain road was constructed
through a narrow canyon which, in
many places, had precipitous walls of
rock. The scenery along this road ri
walls that Of many of the scenic high
ways.
This road opens up large area of
national forest heretofore inaccessible,
gives comparatively quick communica-
tion between Boise, the state capital,
and Atlanta and greatly lessons the
length of time that Atlanta will be
shut off from communication with the
outside world.