Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-04-23
THE PROTECTION OF FORESTS.

LIE 4 MI ECl lON Or fONt>o ..
1t is hereby enacted by the General
Assembly of the State of Vermont:
Section I. Section 46S Of the General
Laws is hereby amended so as to read
as follows:
Sec. 46S The board of selectmen of
each town shall annually, on or before
the first day of January, appoint town
forest firewarden, who, upon his accept
ance and upon the approval of said for
ester, shall serve for the calendar year.
Said warden shall receive three dollars
day for time spent in the performance
of the duties of his Office, which shall
be paid by the town. Upon the failure
of said selectmen to make such appoint
ment by the first day of March in any
year, said forester shall appoint such
town forest frewarden. Said warden
shall, when forest fire or fire threaten
ing forest is discovered in his town
enter upon any premises and take meas
ures for its prompt control and ex-
person in the town for assistance, and
said person shall be paid by the town at
the same rate per hour as is paid for
labor upon highways. A minimum of
five hours pay shall be allowed persons
who are officially summoned to assist
in the extinguishment of forest fires.
A person who neglects or refuses to
assist when so called by said warden,
and not excused shall be fined not more
than ten dollars. Said warden may ar
rest without warrant any person found
in the act of violating provision of
law pertaining to forest fires. A town
shall not be held liable in any one year
for an amount greater than ten per cent
of its grand list, for the purpose Of ex-
tinguishing forest fires of which sum
not to exceed one half shall be recov-
cred by the town through a special levy
of not to exceed FIVE cents per acre,
which levy shall be assessed on per
acre basis as an extra item in the regu-
lar tax bill against all unoccupied lands
or uninclosed lands or both containing
inhammable material, which, in the
opinion of the state forester from facts
placed before him by the owner of such
lands or the selectmen of the town in
which the lands lie or both, have not
been provided during the previous year
by said owner with adequate protection
against fire Failure of an owner of
such lands to provide them with such
protection, or failure to file on or be-
fore November first statement in proof
thereof with said forester shall be prima
facie evidence of the absence of such
protection. Occupancy OF farm bv an
owner or his tenant shall constitute
adequate protection of the tinbcrlands
thereon. All sums spent by town in
forest protection in excess of ten per
cent of its grand list shall be paid by
the state from the moneys annually avail
able for the purposes of any unforeseen
contingency, and the auditor of accounts
shall draw an order for any such excess,
when the same is approved by the commit
tee on budget under the provisions of Sec
ton 654 of the General Laws. When
ever said warden employs men in ex-
tinguishing fire in town adjoining
his own the expense incurred shall be
paid by the town in which the work
was done. If town neglects or re-
fuses to pay said warden or his assist
ants for their services, said forester
shall, if he finds the same to be justly
due, certify the amounts to the auditor
of accounts, together with the names
and addresses of the claimants, and said
auditor shall draw an order therefor
payable to such claimants, and the town
liable for such services shall reimburse
the state for the amount SO paid.
Sec. 2. Section 400 of the General
Laws is hereby amended so as to read
as follows:
Sec. 46o. Said forester may appoint
forest fire warden for an unorganized
town or gore, who shall hold Office for
one year. Said wardens shall have the
same powers and duties as town forest
hrewardens and shall receive three dol
lars day for the time spent in the per-
Torrance of the duties of his office.
Said warden may call on any person,
whether resident or not of such town
or gore, for assistance and such per-
son shall receive the same pay and be
liable to the same penalties as pre-
scribed for persons called upon by a
warden under the provisions Of the pre-
ceding section. The per diem of said
warden and said persons and all expenses
incurred by said warden in extinguish-
ing forest fires shall, on the approval
of the committee on budget under the
provisions of section 6s4 of the General
Laws be paid by the state from the
moneys annually available for the pur-
poses of any unforeseen contingency, and
the auditor of accounts shall draw
orders therefor.
Sec. g.. Section All of the General
Laws is nereDy amcnded 50 as to read
as follows:
Sec. All. Such warden shall, dur
ing the danger season and subject to
the approval or direction of said for
ester, establish a patrol in dangerous
localities, and the expense for the same
shall be paid as expenses for fighting
fires. Said wardens shall receive the
same pay for time spent in posting no.
tees, patrolling or making reports that
they receive for time spent in actual
fire fighting. A warden who fails to
perform his duties without sufficient
reason shall be fined not more than
twenty-five dollars.
Sec. T. This act shall take effect
from its passage.
Approved April 8, 1919.
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