Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1912-04-18
Government to Extend Aid To
Protect Timber.

United States Department OF Agricul-
ture, office Of the Secretary, Washing
ton, D. c., Nov. 10, 1911.
At cCoperativ agreement entered
into between the U. S. department of
agriculture and the state of Maryland
provides for an expenditure by the
government of not to exceed 5000 dur
ing the year ending December 81, 1911,
this sum to 60 toward meeting the ex
penses of forest fire protection in
Maryland. The areas to be protected
are in Allegheny, Garrett, Washington
and Frederick counties. The coopera-
tive agreement is made possible by the
terms OF the Weeks law, which congress
passed last winter.
The Weeks law, besides providing
for the purchase by the national gov
ernment of lands on the headwaters Of
navigable rivers for the purpose of
creating national forests to protect
these rivers, carried also an appropri-
alton Of s200, 600 which the secretary of
agriculture 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 signed similar
cooperative agreements with the gov
ernment are Maine, New Hampshire,
Vermont, Massachusetts,, Connecticut,
New Jersey, New York, Wisconsin,
Minnesota and Oregon.
The secretary Of agriculture con-
cluded that the most effective way to
use the money available would be by
requiring, as preliminary to entering
INFO an agreement with any state for
cooperative fire protection, that the
state authorities should submit
definite plan showing in detail exactly
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 care
fully examined by the department of
agriculture, to see both that the area to
be protected is actually forested land
on the headwaters Of navigable streams
and that the plan 0f protection pro-
posed is well conceived and thoroughly
practical, with an organized and effect
i've system of administration by capable
state officers. It was decided for the
present year that the amount spent in
any one state by the national govern
ment should be limited to $4,000.
The funds Of the federal government
will be used solely for paying patrol
men. The state officials select these
patrolmen, subject to the approval Of
the department of agriculture. The
maps submitted to the federal govern
ment show where each OF these patrol
men will be located, the approximate
routes of patrol, and all matters neces-
sary to a clear understanding of the
states plan Of fire control, including the
location of lookout points, telephone
communications, railroad patrols, loca-
ton of state forest fire wardens and
other officials, and the like.
In short, the basic idea is that eff
cient fire protection can be given only
by the development Of carefully
worked out, well manned, and capably
differed scheme, which studies the
situation beforehand and makes provi-
sion for the most effective disposal and
use of the available forces. Under the
terms of the cooperative agreements,
the secretary Of agriculture may termi-
nate the cooperation at any time that
he finds il not to be conducted in q.
satisfactory manner. Forestry officials
Of the department of agriculture will
act as inspectors OF the work. It is be-
IieYed til. der this sys.?.n 2 great
advaa.at viii BE- m.de il. the de, elop-
lnent of good state systems OF fire pro-
lection.
I. O. O. r Anniversary Rates To