The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1912-04-26

THE FOREST FIRE PROBLEM.

THE FOREST FIRE PROBLEM.
By 81. S. Newins. Instructor Department of For
estry. o. A. c.
OREGON AGRICULTURAL COL
LEGE, Corvallis -The Pacific North
west has a fire problem which
must soon be solved if the val
liable timber interests within this
region are to be utilized to their
utmost. Fire protection has received
but recent attention in the United
States. The problem which confronts
the Pacific Northwest is peculiar in
that We find here forests represented
by species of enormous size, such as
the Douglas Fir, Western Red Cedar,
and the Western White Pine. These
trees are found in heavy stands and
associated with dense underbrush of
such character as the accursed Vine
Maple and Salal. Within the forest
there are many openings called
"prairies," and bordening these
are often fire damaged and dead
trees, the results of previous burnings.
The topography is rough and broken
and the distance from market in such
a rugged country makes the timber in
accessible, and hence the woods are
not opened up and developed by con-
sentative logging and exploitation.
Forest investments are impossible
until an adequate system of fire pro-
iy
places sum of money in the bank
and this money earns him interest.
Were it possible for him to place the
same amount of money in timber in
vestments he could earn even a great
er return, but no capitalist will make
such an investment until he is assured
that the timber in which he invests is
adequately protected. The present fire
risk in America discOurages good tim
Der investments In European coun-
tries this fire risk has been greatly re-
forests of Saxony yield more than SIS
per acre per annum above all ex-
penses of protection, administration
and operation. The first steps toward
reform in America have been taken
up by the Federal and state govern
ments and by fire protective associa-
lions.
The government plans have been
well laid, but their progress has been
checked by lack of funds. Funds are
necessary to push the development Of
roads and trails for the construction
and maintenance of telephone lines so
that our valuable timber interests may
be more accessible. When these fire
preventive measures can be more fully
carried out the expense of actual fire
fighting will be greatly lessened
There is in Oregon one national forest
of approximately 100000 acres. This
foDest unit is, more or less, composed
of almost inaccessible timber, such a
condition being due to the undevel-
oped nature of the region. During the
summer of 1911 fires occurred here
with the usual dry season. There fires
of dead dry timber which previous
fires had left standing. At the close
of the season it was estimated that
there had been total damage of $780,
949, which included the value of tim
Der destroyed or damaged, the forage
value and the value of injured repro
duction The total cost of fighting
these fires, including the wages of tenn
porary laborers, the salaries of forest
guards and rangers, tools, supplies
and transportation, amounted to
$7,68240. If the inaccessibility of the
forest had been reduced by the estab-
lishment of complete system of trails
and telephone lines these items of ex-
pense could have been reduced to a
minimum.
The states have not been tardy in
following the splendid work of the
Federal Government. In 1907 the leg
islature of the state of Oregon passed
a law which provided for State
Board of Forestry The activities of
the Board caused the enactment of a
law in 1911 which provided for the
appointment OF State Forester, and
which carries an appropriation OF $780,
600 for fire protection and invest1ga-
ton work during the present biennial
period.
State Forester F. A. Elliott makes
the following statement in his first an
nUaI report TO the OOV0IuOI, IOlI :.
.'The loss of timber by fires during the
past season amounted to approximate.
ly 1882. 900 board feet, which must
be considered insignificant when com
pared to the 1,97S.841 900 board feet
damaged in 1910. In other words the
loss this year was less than five pei
cent of the loss during 1910 The re
suits secured this year were due chief
1y to the greatly increased efficiency
of the Federal, state and private or
CARNATIONS in fire patrol and fire fight
ing work Hundreds of small hres
were extinguished, while large nres
were fought by adequate forces under
experienced supervision"
| Private organizations are also 'ren
dering valuable service toward timber
protection in the Northwest Ine
Western Forestry and CONSERVATION
Association is foremost in this Held
and includes in its membership sucf
organizations as, Northern Montana
Forestry Association, North ldane
Forestry Association, Washington For
est Fire Association, Oregon Fores'
Fire Association, Oregon ConservalloI
49,