The Wolf Point herald. (Wolf Point, Mont.) 1913-1940, 1921-06-09
FIRE UNCONTROLLED COSTS
MONTANA "A FORTUNE YEARLY

Isource of revenue which assists in
bringing that about?
The most productive sections of
the state lie adjacent to forested
areas. This is because of the more
plentiful supply of water for irriga-
ton, which is conserved and regu-
lated by the forest cover. Very soon
after an extensive forest fire, it will
be noticed that streams rising in the
burned area become very irregular
in their flow, the water running off
rapidly in the spring and often caus-
ing great loss of property, and later
in the summer when water is badly
needed to save scorching crops, there
is little or none available. The act
ual financial loss to the agricultural
resources of the state on this account
cannot be accurately appraised, but
as each year adds to the total area of
denuded forest land, the ultimate
cost to the state will reach an enor-
nous figure. How does this affect
you, and what are you doing to pre-
vent it?
In 1920, 100000 sheep and $780,
600 cattle grazed upon the National
forests In the United States. The
estimated annual consumption of
sheep in America is about rs pounds
per person, which gives some idea
of the relation of the forests to our
meat supply. An area which is being
eroded by water running off rapidly
on account of the lack of forest cover
is rapidly losing it's value as grazing
land, as well as it's value for other
purposes.
The newspapers of the country use
nearly 100000 tons of print paper
each year, and already Canada is fur
nishing us with almost three-fourths
of the pulpwood used in the manu-
facture of this paper. Our own pulp
wood stands in the eastern states
have already been exploited and
those in the west are beginning to be.
Unless the timber which we have is
protected, and the 90,000,0 00 acres
of idle forest land are set to produc-
Ing a further supply, we will in the
not very far distant future be de-
pendent entirely upon foreign coun-
tries for u paper supply. 1t does
not require a prophet to foresee the
calamity that would result.
By no mean the least important
value of forests is their recreational
value. Each year, an increasing num-
Der of people visits the forests for
lengths of time varying from a part
of a day to several months. All of
us who have passed any time within
a forest, whether on business or
pleasure, have surely felt many times
repaid for what it cost US and surely
brought back with us something of
value which could have been gained
nowhere else. That value varies
with each individual but a hypothe-
tica1 comparison with the amusement
parks Of a great city gives an idea
of the value. If Coney Island col
lects 10c per hour from each visitor
is 1t not reasonable to estimate the
value Of forest recreation at the same
II campers, fishermen, hunt
ers and others spend a total of 100,-
600 hours In the forests in the course
Of a year, the annual profits from
the are $4,000. This is
arbitrary figure, but it furnishes
food for thought.
There are many other benefits, ne
cessities and luxuries which we OBJ
tain from our forests, but these few
are mentioned should be suf-
ficient reason for us to do our part
In protecting the forests.
Just as the best insurance on your
home Is your own c~arefulness with
fire, sc the best protection of your
forests is the eternal carefu1ness of
you and every other good citizen
in the woods