The Republican journal., 1919-08-21
OUR FORESTS

Mr. Forrest H. Colby, Forest Commits
sioner of the State of Maine, in his read
able and practical report for 1918, presents
some facts which the public ought to know
and consider He says that 'dur nP the
previous ten years our annual lumber cut
has averaged about one billion feet B. M.
each year, and that it is probable that the
replacement growth has been about one
tenth of the cut. Harvesting ten times
the amount of what we grow will bring
us to state of complete exhaustion"
The greater part of Names timbered ter
Ttory is agricultural land evidently
designed by Nature to be and remain vast
tree plantations. Maine has about fifteen
million acres of these lands an ! about
fifteen per cent thereof is "wood lots" in
the more or less thickly settled sections
of the State. A surprisingly large per-
centage of our unsettled forest territory
has been gathered into few holdings by
individuals and corporations. There are
10 holdings of more than 100000 acres
each, 10 of more than 200, 900 acres each,
2 of more than 500, 900 acres each, and
of more than 100000 acres. Mr.. Colby
estimates that there are still standing in
this State about 25 billion feet of spruce,
6 billion feet of pine, 8 billion feet of
within recent years the methods of cut
ting have been wasteful and little thought
has been given to reforestation of the
cut over areas except by Natures process
ses. At the present time, however, there
are large cut over sections where a prom
Using stand of young spruce has been
spared and this assures another lumber
crop Oh these sections in 20 or 80 years, 7!
if forest fires do not destroy it. Next to i
the axe and the saw, forest fires have
been the agencies which have DESTROYED !
our virgin forests.
1t is only until within the last ten years
that practical methods have been pursued |
in controlling them. When we consider |
that more than half the State of Maine is
covered by a we'll nigh trackless forest i
trequented by fishermen, hunters, camp |
ers and tourists, the danger of fire is i'm |
minent, and when once forest fire gets
Roadway its control is difficult. The first |
necessity was the establishment of look
tains from which fire or a smoke could |
be seen and located. We have now about |
90 of these stations. The first towers |
were 20 or 80 feet high, built of logs sur
mounted by hut These are now being /
replaced by skeleton steel structures, that |
on Mt kineo being "a feet high, that on |
Flagstaff being so feet, and that on Malta
miscontis, 10 feet high. These lookout !
stations have TELEPHONE connection with !
each other and with the outside world,
and with the headquarters of the Chief
80 and 40. Each ore of these is respon-
sibie for certain section. We have also !
considerable number of Deputy War
dens most of them being local woodsmen
who are called Oh IN case OF emergencies. /
We have also about 100 patrolmen, each |
of whom has his district to patrol, keep !
the trail clear and see that the telephone !
lines are in order. The lone watchers on
the mountain top are the men upon whose
faithful ness the safety of the forests in
greatest measure depends. In the early |
morning he climbs. to the little room on !
the top of of his tower and turns his /
,,lasses again and again round tie circle /
which his vision reaches. In clear wealth |
er no starting forest fire can long escape |
his notice. When fire is seen he notifies !
the wardens and the tlremen of the woods
are a way to the scene. The expenses OF |
the lookout, warden and patrol service
are almost entirely paid by the land own
ers and by the Federal Forest Service.
Tits work is being efficiently carried
on but it should be remembered that it is
preservative not constructive work. 1t
does not build for the future needs OF the
people Sometime, reforestation will be-
come a necessity and, in this, the PRES