The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1921-06-10
Forest Protection
Good Business for
Northwest States

Portland, Ore, June 2.-"Forest
Protection Week went over strong,
said George II. Cecil, District For
ester, when seen today at the Port
land office of the u. $. Forest Ser
vice. "The efforts put forth in
preparation for the week by forest
fire protective associations; the
Natural Parks Association, Seattle;
by state and federal forest agen-
cies, met with most encouraging re-
Suits" Mr.. Cecil remarked. UT
shows a growing appreciation by
the people of the Northwest Of the
necessity of forest protection in or
der to maintain for all time their
present place in the front ranks OF
lumber production. No other Tor
est region has such an opportunity;
for with our wonderful forest wealth,
Oregon and Washington, by thought
full protection and wise use, can If
they will always produce lumber in
immense quantities"
Mr.. Cecil brought out the fact
that last year in Oregon and Wash
ington there were 2,916 forest fires
reported.
Forest fires in the United States
annually destroy more than two bill
lion feet of timber, or material
enough to build a five-room frame
house every one hundred feet on
both sides of road extending from
Seattle, Washington, through the
entire state of Oregon to the Cali
fornia line, according to Mr.. Cecil.
with four people to house,
these 100000 or more buildings
would provide a home for nearly
One-fOurth our yearly increase IN
population; a number sufficient to
populate a new city each year the
size of Seattle or Portland"
More than 100000 forest fires
have occurred in the United States
during the past five years, 80 per
cent of which were due to human
agencies and therefore preventable,
say forest officials. The Govern
ment reports show that these con-
flagrations burned over 56,488,000
acres-an area much greater than
that included within the state of
Washington-and destroyed $85 ,700,-
600 worth of timber and property.
eff this needless waste were stop
ped and the material thus saved put
into houses, the various business in
terests concerned in building con-
struction, such as lumber dealers,
carpenters, masons and supply
houses, would, it is estimated, ben
eft to the extent of more than
400 million dollars annually. Bank
ers and real estate dealers would
also profit through the sale of lands
and by loans on homes to the extent
of an additional 800 million dollars
Forest fires are therefore of vital
concern not only to the everyday
citizens but to every business man
and laUorer."
Mr.. Cecil emphasized the fact
that forest protection goes hand in
hand with national prosperity; that
next to food and clothing, wood is
the most Indispensable product Of
nature. without wood there can
be no agriculture, no manufacture,
no commerce. Forest fires destroy
life and property, impoverish the
soil, drive away game and animal
life, cause floods and droughts, and
make waste the Fairgrounds of the
people" said the District Forester.
president Harding at the request of
the Forest Service proclaimed the
week of May 1928 as Forest Pro-
lection Week in order that the
present unnecessary waste of he
timber resources of the country and
the serious condition of our forests
might be brought widely to public
notice, and its local observance took
place not only throughout Wash
ington and Oregon but in all other
parts of the country.