The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1934-03-01
Supervisor
TellS0f Forest
Activities
Fifty-six Fires II a n d lie d
During 1933-Only Three
Of Incendiary Origin.
FOUR CCC CAMPS
OF 200 MEN EACH

OF 200 MEN EACT
According to report by c. S. Webb
local forest supervisor, activities in tn
kootenai national forest were practi
.cally normal during the year of 1888.
The advent of the CCC camps in
augurated last spring, called for consid
cradle revision in the organization ant
plans for carrying on the work, and, il
tact, much of 1t was done in a mannel
and under conditions considerably diff
ferent from methods and practices en-
ployed heretofore.
During the season of 1888 there were
s. fires handled on the forest and one
Canadian fire was combatted at the line
IN order to keep it off United States
territory insofar as possible. Of the Sc
tires, IS were held in size to one-quart-
err acre or less while II spread to ex-
coed one-quarter acre, but none covered
over six acres. Twenty-ix were caused
by lightning and 30 were man caused,
indicating that although much effort,
time and expense are spent in educa-
tional matter and publicity aiming at
fire prevention, still man is the greater
offender. This is due chiefly to care
lessness and lack of thought and for
estry officials feel much is being accom-
plished by the public in general in the
lowering of carelessly caused fires. IN
1883 on the Kootenai % fires were
charged to careless smokers, 2 to debris
burning, 3 to numbering activities and
only were considered as Of incendiary
origin.
Few Fire Fighters Employed.
But few fire fighters were employed
and those for very short periods. the
CCC forces being called upon to sup
press most of the fires although num-
Der of locally hired men were taken
to the Canadian boundary fire near
Canuck Peak on American creek.
During the summer season "a seasonal
men were employed on the Kootenai
forest in the protection organization
which consisted of ranger assistants,
packers, firemen and lookout men.
These were all former employees of two
or more seasons who had considerable
previous training in protection work
and a successful season was experienced
in that most of the fires occurring were
suppressed in the initial stage.
Outside of the small number of men
employed on spring maintenance there
were no regular road and trail con-
struction crews employed as in previous
years. This part Of the work was taken
up by the CCC camps established on
the forest.
Four CCC camps of about 200 men
each were established at Turner Station
on Pipe creek, three miles west of Troy, /
at the mouth of Spread creek on the
Yak, and at Rexford. The enrolled
CCC members at The Troy camp were
all young men Of Montana AT the other
three camps there were an average
of ITS men each from eastern states and
an average of rs men each enrolled
locally so that practically 100 local men
of lincoln county were enrolled in the |
CCC at these four camps. These were
selected from every corner of the coun-
ty and while most of them were young |
fellows, there were few Of the older |
men enrolled.
At the four camps the forest service
employed as facilitating personnel, in
Guiding foremen, powdermen, steel
sharpeners, blacksmiths, bridge men
and machine operators, total of As
men during the season who were paid /
standard wage.
Did Much Work.
This approximates the number used
on trail construction crews in 1881 and I
1882 and exceeds the number employed /
on road construction in 1892 These
camp crews engaged in various kinds Of /
improvement work constructing 81
miles of road, several bridges includ-
ing two-span steel bridge 40 feet
long at Spread creek and 45-foot steel
girder bridge at East Fork of Pipe
creek. About 60 miles of road was
brushed and maintained, several miles
of telephone line constructed, two air
fields cleared and partially graded and
some buildings constructed and painted
at headquarter stations. This sort of
work conducted from large camps in
volved the expenditure Of considerable
time in travel, most Of the enrolled men
were inexperienced and the work week
consisted Of five short days, so that all
things considered the results were fair
ly good.
During the fall of 1888 the Kootenai
forest obtained some funds made avail
able under the National Industrial Re-
covery Act and for period Of 45 days
during October and November consid-
cradle activity was had in connection
with improvement work and insect con-
troll Ninety men were worked on in
set control and the white pine stand on
Pete creek tributary to the Yak, re-
sulting in several thousand insect at
tackled trees being treated. Ranger dis
trict administrative buildings, which lis
a combination building designed to ac-
comodate the district needs for ware
house, kitchen, office and sleeping
quarters, were constructed at Warland, i
Sylvanite and the Cabinet station at
Troy. Other buildings, such as garages,
woodsheds, machinery, storage sheds
were also constructed In addition !
about rs miles of the forests main tele-