The Washington herald., 1910-10-30

tn BE Six Billion Feet of Timber.
Officials Hope 90 Salvage Portion.
A rough estimate OF the fire loss upon
the national forests in Montana and
Northern Idaho, upon which the forest
officers of the Department Of Agriculture
have been engaged since the fres were
put out puts the total amount Of tim
Der killed or destroyed in this one dis
trict at over $780, 10000 board feet. while
the area burned over IS put at over
], 25e, 600 acres.
The heaviest losses were in two Idaho
forests. where over 30O0.0OO00 board feet
Of timber are reported killed or destroyed
and over $4,000 acres burned over. and
the Clearwater area. where 1000, 90, 900
feet OF timber was killed or destroyed
and 10000 acres burned over. In the
Helena national forest, In Montana, the
loss !n timber is believed TO have been
5D,O0O)o feet in the Cabinet forest
100000, and in the Lolo forest Co.
000.O6o
A large part Of the losses on the Occur
Alene, Clearwater. and LolO were due
10 what became practically Ole great
IRE The burn is shown on the Forest
Service maps as extending in a north
westerly and southeasterly direction from
north OF Wallace, Idaho 10 a point some
thirty miles southwest OF Missoula, Mont,
or nearly 100 miles. AT its widest point
this burn has a width Of about forty
miles, but its shape IS very irregular.
Wall of Fire.
II was really union OF number OF
separate fires, driven 10 fury by the fierce
hurricane OF August e. To the west Of
the IdahO-Montana boundary in the re-
gion OF this IRE lies a very inaccessible
mountainous country, into which. on de-
count Of the absence Of trails and OF
/ forage 1t was almost impossible for
forces Of fire fighters 20 penetrate When
. the hurricane arose It drove the dres
upon the parties which were hewiug q
way toward them, forced these parties Il
seek refuge wherever II could be found.
and swept down upon the forests where
the fires were up 70 that time generally
well in hand The extensive losses are
Gscribed 10 the combination Of hurricane
and lack OF means 10 get 10 the fires
and put them out before the storm came.
I In the forests which we're best equipped
for controlling fires the results achieved
are regarded as a demonstration Of the
efficacy OF the fre-hghting methods en-
plOyed even under highly adverse natural
conditions.
Forester Graves believes that. as usu-
ally happens in the case OF big fires. there
vii be fo-ud 10 be considerable areas or
living timber within the regions now
mapped as entirely burned over. OF ne
cessity the figures given are tentative, for
II has been impossible 10 examine all the
burned areas thoroughly. As fast as POS
sible. however the forest officers are 10
eating and estimating the bodies of tim
Der killed but capable OF being numbered
T. taken in time. There VIII be an enor-
nous quantity OF fre-killed timber both
IN the national forests and on private
lands 10 be disposed Of as soon as pos
sible since If not marketed quickly II
viii not be worth cutting at all
VIII sell Timber.
The Department Of Agriculture viii
| push vigorously 10 dispose Of this fire.
( killed timber. As with all other national
/ forest timber. IL will be sold on the
stump 10 millmen who viii lumber the
land. paving a set price per thousand
[ board feet for the timber. and conform
/ ing 10 whatever regulations are stipu-
/ lated in the interest Of the forest Pend
ing the disposal Of this tre-killed timber
/ future sales Of green timber from the ma
/ tiOnal forests which were badly burned
/ last summer will probably be greatly re-
stricted if not entirely suspended.
/ Since the amount 10 De disposed OF Is
doubtless greater than can be marketed
1 in any event, and since il i better for
/ the country that the timber should be
utilized than that IL should go 70 waste
4 in the woods, the price az which It viii be
sold viii be- lower than would be asked
for the timber under ordinary circum-
/ stances. Generally speaking, Secretary
/ Wilson does not regard 81 as q wise pub
/ lie policy 10 sell OF national forest tim
I her except when il Is in reasonably good
/ demand. for the country is sure 20 need
/ the supply badly later on. But with the
I fre-killed timber IL Is case Of now or
+ never. Consequently there Is an unusual
/ opening for iumbeTmen who are ready 10
/ buy national forest stumpage at bargain
/ prices.
SIX Billion Loss.
How much Of the 6.o1ol0.o10 feet which
was either killed or burned up in Mon
,ana and Northern Idaho can eventually
/ be saIvaged 1t IS. of course, impossible 10
rredict II il were all total loss. and II
its stumpage value were put al the aver
age price al which national forest timber
was sold last year. il would bee the equiv
aleut OF a money loss OF about N5lg1ol0-
II is believed that last summers rres
/ either burned up OF killed between 4 and
. Der cent Of the total stand OF national
forest timber. At the present rate o.
| cutting from the national forests 6v3.,-
900 .O00 feet IS equal 10 twelve years sup
plv. but II is less than one-slXth or a
single year cut in the entire country. OF
enough TO keep all our lumber mills busy
for something under two months.