The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1910-11-11
six BILLION FEET 0E
TIMBER BURNF1
ESTIMATED Loss IN IDAHO An,
MONTANA FIFTEEN
MILLIONS.
'nree s''''o" Board Feet D.strov.u
IN Occur d'AIene Forest AIon.-
scorchea Trees in Reserves to q.
sod at Moderate Prices on tn.
Stump. '

Washington. Nov. IA rouo,
Innate OF the fire loss upon the ~
tlonal forests in Montana and NJ. Id
ern Idaho, upon which the forest O a.a
GERS OF the United States densrtu yin
OF agriculture have been en1asa.
since the fires were put out put Has 81
total amount of timber killed or -"
stroyed in this one district at or NC.
6,OOO,OOO,OOO board feet, while tho Wv" o,sa
burned over is put at over ON a0a
acres. 1'-0O'VVo
The heaviest losses were in ,uo
Idaho forests, the Occur d,Alsro
where over 100000 900 board feet ~
timber is reported killed or destrovaa
and over 100000 acres burned ovsr
and the Clearwater, where 1OOO OoO
900 feet of timber was killed or d.
stroyed and 100000 acres burned over
On the Helena national forest. in Mon.
tana, the loss in timber is believed
to have been 5OO,OOO,OOO feet, on the
Cabinet forest 100000 and on the
Lolo forest 3OO,OOO,OOO.
A large part of the losses on the
Occur d'Alene, Clearwater and Lolo
were due to what became practically
one great fire. The burn is shown on
the forest service maps as extending
in northwesterly and southeastern
direction from north of Wallace, Ida.
to 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
it's shape is very irregular.
Hurricane Made Fight Hopeless.
It was really union of number
of separate fires, driven to fury by
the fierce hurricane of August rs. To
the west of the Idaho-Montana boun-
dairy in the region of this fire lies a
very inaccessible mountainous coun.
try, into which, on account of the abb
sence of trails and of forage, it was
almost impossible for forces of fire
fighters, to penetrate. When the hur-
ricane arose it drove the fires upon
the parties which were hewing way
towards them, forced these parties to
seek refuge wherever it could be
found, and swept down upon the for
ests where the fires were up to that
time generally well in hand. The ex-
tensive losses are ascribed to the
combination of hurricane and lack of
means to get to the fires and put them
out before the storm came. On the
forests which were best equipped for
controlling fires the results achieved
are regarded as demonstration OF the
efficiency of the fire-fghting methods
employed even under highly adverse
natural conditions.
Thinks Some Survived.
Forester Graves believes that, as
usually happens in the case OF Dig
fires. there will be found to be consld-
cradle areas of living timber wltnln
the regions now mapped as entlrey
burned over. There will be an enof'
NOUS quantity of fre-killed TIMBER
both on the national forests and on
private lands, to be disposed OF %
soon as possible, since If not marAe'-
ed quickly it will not be worth cu''ine
at all.
The department OF agriculture WIN
push vigorously to dispose OF tnls nv
killed timber. AS with all otner Ia
tional forest timber, it will be sou W
the stump, to millmen who VIII luz
Der the land, paying set price w.
thousand board feet for the 'in-D ',o
and conforming to whatever resui "f
lions are stipulated in the ln'eio a' If
the forest. Pending the dispose. ~
This fire-killed timber, future sales "
green timber from the national loiv. n,
which were badly burned ias' ,. D
mer will probably be greatly reS'"'
ed if not entirely suspended. oa Of
Since the amount to be dispose .or.
is doubtless greater than can ue :. is
reted in any event, and since !. .;m.
better for the country tnat 'a .Sot il
her sbould be utilized than tna' .,e
should go to waste in the woo s'';1, he
nrice at which it will be SOLO Nn' The
lower than would be askea . 10
timber under ordinary clrcun' wilson
Generally speaking, Secretary wv, m mol.
does not regard it as a wise publ tim.
~. - ~ col, off the national forest s n1y
Der except when it is in rvaJ IS sure
good demand, for the coun'iy Dat with
70 need the supply later on D use Of
~. ~ a. era.rilled timber it is a cass is
now or never. Consequently rahermen
An unusual opening TOR n, forest
who are ready to buy national
stnmnage at bargain prices.
Lo.. May Be s1s,ooo,ooo .. ,e,t.
Hov much Of the s,ooo,oeo,e Ns.d is sp
aCw n n,s' either killed or burned -. an
in Montana and Northern + !. id "a course
eventually be salvaged It Is y, ALI
,m :, to predict. If it wea' value
imp. .mpIS loss and if its stumpage ,s ss
were put at the average pl,s s sold last
rational forest timber was ASH, sv Of
v s. Il would be the equivai Oon
money loss Of about s15'ooO'OO''
ch,r... parliament in 1918 ..,,ss