The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1922-01-14
State Forester Gives Summary
Of Additional Forestry
- o. -. -, st.. ~.
Measures Proposed
DEFENDS WORKINGS OF
BURNING PERMIT LAW
Encourages Lumber and Mining
Companies to Organize for
Fire Protection

In letter to The Pioneer, State
Forester W. T, Cox, among other
things, gives an outline of additional
forestry measures proposed and
urged by the state forestry board.
This board has oftentimes been Sc
verely criticized for lack of policy
although it. has had pretty definite
one. for years. Moreover, through leg
islation from time to time the vari
Gus features of this policy have been
incorporated into law.
"Much has been said about the
burning permit law and the hindering
of land clearing operations by pro-
hibiting burning when the settler
feels that it is perfectly safe to do
So" declares Mr.. Cox. "The forestry
board does not wish to work hard
ship on any settler. In fact, the for
estry service and its field men should
be able to assist the settler in his
problems. We have in Northern Min
nesota, aside from the state rangers
and patrolmen, ITO township fire
wardens. These are given appoint
ments from this office and work under
the supervision and direction Of the
district rangers. In some townships
there are two fire wardens so that
the settlers may. obtain permits with
out hardship or loss Of time. Last fall
the burning permit law made it pos
sibel for this department to control
fire situation which otherwise must
have resulted in disaster.
There were reported in 1921, TIC
fires which covered $4,000 acres.
Fifteen hundred fire fighters were
employed to combat these fires which
caused total loss Of $1SO,SOO."
Mr.. Cox encourages companies to
organize into protective associations.
The department is endeavoring to or
ganize all of the larger lumber and
mining companies in this cooperative
work and hopes that next year will
see many more companies banded to-
gether in the interest Of fire protec-
ton.
The state forestry department does
not claim to be infallible. Mr.. Cox
invites just and constructive criti-
cism, considering that any such adj
vice might tend to increase the pro-
lection which the state is endeavor-
ing to give the settler.
The forest policy approved by the
Minnesota forestry board has in
mind the agitation regarding an
early timber shortage and the pres
cnt difficulty in obtaining pulpwood
for the paper mills.
Careful study of the forestry
boards policy, as outlined herewith,
is invited by the department. The
policy in brief follows:
'"All soil should be made product
i've Of the crop to which it is best
adapted or for which there is the
greatest public need.
"Whilc agriculture and forestry
are based upon soil production, the
methods necessary in forestry and
the time involved are SO different
from those Of agriculture that for
estry demands an entirely different
form of administration.
estate forest policies should be in
itiated and carried out in co-opera-
ton with the national government
and with private owners wherever and
to the fullest extent possible.
an accordance with the policy of
the federal government and SO that
the state may enjoy the benefits of
federal cooperation state forest leg
islation should establish general
principles and procedure only and
vest in properly constituted and
CONTINUED on Pare 81