The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1911-07-12
70 CHECK FOREST fIRvs
Government VIII Expend $1,000 In
Vermont Next Year.

Washington, July IA eo-opera-
tive agreement which has been enter
ed into between the u. S. Department
of agriculture and the State of Yer
mont provides for an expenditure by
the government of not TO exceed 81
900 during next year toward meeting
the expense of forest fire protection
in Vermont. The cooperative agree
ment is made possible by the terms
of the Weeks law, which Congress
passed last winter.
This law, besides providing for the
purchase by the national government
Of lands on the headwaters Of navig-
able rivers for the purpose of Great
ing national forests to protect these
rivers, carried also an appropriation
of 100000 which the secretary of ag-
riculture might expend in order to
protect from fire, in cooperation with
the States, similar lands in State or
private ownership 1t was provided
in the law that expenditures by the
federal government in any State
should not exceed the amount spent
by the State itself in the cooperative
work Other States which have sign
ed similar cooperative agreements
with the government are Maine, New
Hampshire, New Jersey and Wiscon-
sin.
The secretary of agriculture con-
cluded that the most effective way to
use the money available would be by
requiring, as a preliminary to enter
ing into an agreement with any State
for cooperative fire protection, that
the State authorities should submit a
definite plan showing in detail exact
| ly what it was proposed to do With
these plans were required maps show
| ing areas TO which protection would
be given All plans submitted are
carefully examined by the department
OF agriculture to see both that the
area to be protected is actually for
ested land on the headwaters of nav
igable streams and that the plan of
protection proposed is well conceived
and thoroughly practical, with an or
ganized and effective system OF ad-
ministration by capable State officers.
II was decided for the present year
that the amount spent in any one
State by the national government
should be limited TO $4,000
The funds of the federal govern
ment will be used solely for paying
patrolmen The State officials select
/ these patrol men, subject to the APP
proval of the department OF agricul.
ture The maps submitted to the fed
eral government show where each OF
these patrolmen, subject to the APP
approximate routes of patrol, and all
matters necessary to a clear under
lstanding OF the States plan OF fire
control including the location OF
lookout points, telephone c0mmunica.
tons, railroad patrols, location OF
State forest fire wardens and other
officials and the like.
In short, the basic idea Is that ef-
iicient fire protection can be given
only by the development OF a careful.
ly worked out, well manned and cap
ably Differed scheme, which studies
the situation beforehand and makes
provision for the most effective dis
Iposal and use of the available forces
with a view both TO preventing fires
from getting started and concentrate
ing upon them quickly if they do get
started In the national forests OF
the west. where the fires must often
be fought at a long distance from a
base of supplies, a further consider
alton, often of great Importance, is
how to provision the forces which are
on the fire line, perhaps for days al
a time. To provide for this every for
est officer is expected to know before
hand from what stores construction
or lumber camps and ranches he car
obtain food tools, pack horses, anC
men. and in what quantities. In fac
the training OF the forest officers in
cludes a sort Of fire game, which con
sists in suddenly locating an imagi
nary fire on the map of nationa
forest and calling on a ranger to tel
offhand how and from where h,
would gather help, how he would or
ganize and conduct his defense, ant
whence he would obtain supplies ant
means of transportation. Although
conditions in the East seldom pres
ent such serious difficulties, they ar
EtbdIutu dS GAZING tludlig lpi lhtCli
gent planning and the development
of trained force.
Under the terms of the co-operi
tive agreements, the secretary OF az
riculture may terminate the co-oper'
ton at any time that he finds 1t nc
to be conducted In satisfactor
manner. In this way the responsil
! ility for organizing and maintainin
, the work is placed upon the STATE
! which, however, must keep its systeI
up to a good standard of efficiency /
lorder to have the cooperation wit
/, the federal government continues
Forestry officials of the department {
agriculture will act as inspectors
: keep the department informed as
a, how the States are handling the wor
1t is believed that under this system
great advance will be made in III
development of good State systems
I, fire protection