Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1926-12-22

an area of about 5,OOU,OOU acres ol
forest land, responsibility for when
rests upon the municipal officers Oh
each town or plantation.
Even outside the district, the work
of preventing serious loss to the
State through fires is on an organ
lied basis, with provision made Tor
using all possible preventive meth
DDS to the fullest. For example, the
selectmen of a town are authorized
to suspend portable saw mill licenses
in times of drought and to suspend
or revoke them for violation of the
slash laws. Forest fire signs for
posting in schools. camps, saw mills
and other places are furnished to Sc
lectmen and timber owners free of
charge by the forest commissioner.
The state cooperates with mu-
nicipal officers in the enforcement
of the slash laws and in the MAIN
tenance of fire lookout towers, but
cannot contribute toward the cost of
fire fighting"
Duties of Commissioner
The commissioner outlines the
duties of his Office in the opening
pages of the new report, and they
are many and varied. He concludes
the listing of these duties as fol-
lows:
''In carrying out all these duties,
he asks and needs the help and AID
of all good citizens, and 1t Is OF the
highest Importance that the essential
facts regarding the forests and their
protection be known and appreciated
by all for the prosperity of the
whole state is intimately tied up with
their successful management"
The commissioner denies the COM
mon opinion that the lumber COM
panies are not following program
of conservation in their handling of
the timber supply, and says: 1.-THE
lumber and the pulp and paper In
dustries are naturally most anxious
to protect and to conserve the for
est wealth, for it is from this source
alone that they draw their raw ma
terials. AS a consequence, there is
little or no forest devastation in
Maine as it is known in some of
the other forested regions of the
United States"
Conservative Cutting the Rule
conservative cutting is the rule
rather than the exception, and some
provision is usually made for flu
ture crop of trees on areas that are
being cut. either by prescribing a
diameter limit to the cutting, or by
cutting in such way that another
crop may be reasonably assured.
Where this is impossible, as in the
case of large burns, or where some
other species is desired for the next
crop, forest planting is resorted to in
order to insure the future produce
tiveness of the areas. For this pur-
pose large forest nurseries have been
established by some of the larger
organizations owning and operating
forest lands in this State
Educational Work Handled at
U. of M.
Educational work is provided for
at the State University. Here pro-
vision is made for the training Of
technical foresters for the industries,
and general information and instruc-
ton in forestry principles and prac-
tees Is given a wide circulation by
means of special classes, lectures.
bulletins, circulars, news articles and
radio talks
Handling of Forest Diseases
"The work of forest protection from
insect and fungous diseases is in the
hands of highly trained specialists in
each of these branches, and every
thing is being done, insofar as funds
available will permit, to furnish aid
to citizens in the protection and care
of their forested holdings, and to in
sure a better. quicker, and more
valuable wood crop"
Hardwood Utilization a Live. Issue
"The question of utilizing our vast
hardwood resources is now receiving
due consideration, and a special re-
port of the available supply, loca-
ton and best uses for these hard
woods is now about to be published
lin the hands of the State Printer)
and will be SGnt free to all who are
interested in this important branch
of Forestry. This problem is of
double importance since it involves
not only the conservative use of the
present large supply of hardwoods,
which have so far been neglected be-
cause of the pressing demand for
other species and the different
methods of handling involved in their
utilization; but also on count of
the intimate connection between the
removal of the hardwoods. and the
securing of better reproduction of
SoltN uouS by natural nethOdS of re-
production. The problem is there
fore as important silviculturallv as il
is economically.
Fire Prevention the Keynote of Con.
servation
"The forest fire problem is now be-
ing handled with every effort to pre-
vent fires from starting, rather than
by applying exhaustive and expan-
slve methods of suppression on act
ual fires after they have started. 1t
Is case where an ounce of preven-
tion is worth far more than pound
or cure, once the damage has start
ed. Very much of the success of the
work of fire protection will depend
from now on, upon the cooperation
of the general public in helping to
carry out the warnings and sugges
tons Of the Department. Much
time and attention has been given to
the educational and publicity side of
this work, and results are being felt
in this respect, but there is still need
for improvements and for further
work along this line"
He says in conclusion: 1--WE have
ample laws and regulations for
handling the forest fire problems.
and with the funds provided by spec
1al taxation and supplemented by the
Federal Government. we may reason
ably expect adequate protection in
ordinary seasons. The service is
well manned and trained for making
these laws and regulations effective: