The Calumet news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 1907-1938, 1914-08-25

ously, who, by means of the telephone
Will communicate their findings to the
head rangers without delay. Where
only one tower is necessary in order
to cover the district, the location
should be somewhat central and pref
erably upon some commanding emil
nence. In case of a large territory re-
curing a number of towers il might.
however. be more advantageous to To-
cate the latter along well-traverscd
roads, or patrol routes, where they
would be easily accessible to rang
ers, rather than on the highest points.
which might be in more or less out
of-the-way places.
We have found the tower most suit
able for our purposes to be three
post design, 80 to 60 feet high, made
of galvanized steel. On top Is squar,
platform, 8 by feet, enclosed by an
iron railing. The cost OF such towers
is approximately $1.35 per foot of
height. AS between wooden and steel
towers, we consider the latter much
more preferable where structures of a
u,
and the cost is but little, if any, in ex-
cess of wood.
Protection OF the State Forests is
further facilitated by networks of fire
lines, which have been partially COM
pleted on all the forests thus far
brought under management. These
lines are grubbed to the width of six
teen feet, and strips ten feet wide are
then plowed through the center. The
plowed strips are kept clean and free
from all growth by cultivating peri
odically with disk or cultivator. Where
the land is level and fairly uniform in
character, as Is the case on most of
the State Forests, such lines follow the
section lines. On areas that have been
artificially reforested additional fire
lines are put in on the subdivlsional
lines OF the section as a further meas
ure of safety so as to encompass each
forty-acre tract. The forest is thus
divided into units, within the limits OF
any one OF which a fire can be CON
fined, should it succeed in getting such
start as to render it particularly
dangerous. There is at present total
OF 120 miles of fire breaks on the State
Forests. But fire lines in themselves,
no matter how numerous, are not nee
essarily effective barriers, although, IL !
properly maintained, incipient fires |
are often checked by them. 1t is men
above all else that are required, and
the lines are merely vantage points |
from which they can more SUCCESS |
fully combat the flames.
The results obtained in our efforts TO |
protect the State Forests against fires
have proved quite satisfactory. Dur
ing the five years in which the Public
Domain Commission has had charge
we have had 80 fires In all, burning
over a total of 2,175 acres-an aver
age of 435 acres burned annually. or
approximately one-third of one per
cent of the area patrolled. The damage
suffered was comparatively small. the
fires occurring for the most part on
open pine plains and killing no mer-
charitable timber. No season can be !
said to have been particularly hazard
Gus, except for periods of short dura-
ton. The above figures do not include
the fires outside of our boundaries, of
which there were number, at all of
which our rangers either rendered as
sistance or controlled them unaided.
Included, however, are those fires oc.
curing on the interior holdings. The
measure of success that has been at
tanned in our efforts towards protec-
ton we attribute to a combination of
rairly normal climatic conditions,
vigilance through our patrols and
ook-outs, and the cooperation of the
residents on and in the vicinity of the {
'orests.
Mention of other important lines of
work that are being carried on by the |
Public Domain Commission may be of |
some interest.