The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1960-07-15

procedures for the department..
For efficient administration the
department has BEEN Teorg,a1rized into
seven major sections, with various
one of the staff members being
responsible for each section. These
are:
Operation, covering fiscal pro-
cedures and records, personnel man
agement and general field and office
management;
Fire protection. covering activi-
ties relating to fire problems as they
apply to state-owned and privately
owned forest lands. The latter, as
noted above, is by legislative act the
responsibility of the department. For
est landowners pay from three to
seven cents an acre per var in taxes
for this protection work.
Establishment of fire prevention
unit of the department did not come
about until after 1926 fire ON state
forests burned swath over a mile
wide and more than 10 miles long in
a single 24-hour period. The "Fitz-
simmons Burn" destroyed more than
seven thousand acres of fine timber.
Since organization of the fire pre-
vention division the largest fire the
has had to fight and bring
under control covered total of 700
acres. The fire, occurring about 80
years ago, was about ten miles south
of the big one in the upper Whitefish
River drainage.
Funds for fire prevention work by
and large come from state and fed
aral sources. Under the Clarke Nc
Nary act of 1924 the federal govern
nent is supposed to put up half of
5he cost of such work. However, in
more recent years the federals have |
been insisting such work is basically |
state matter and at present only % |
,er cent of the funds for the program
comes from Washington. Recent stu
lies conducted by the Batelle Memo
.ial Institute for federal and state
orests and wildlife groups and the
timber industry are conclusive in up
lolding the original intent of the 1924
.ct that the federal government put
lp at least half of the cost of the
,rogram. Today the State Forestry
receives about 100000
rom Washington. The average an
Iual cost is 100000. If the federal
lovernment can be persuaded to live
p to the acts intent, that 100000
contribution would be increased to
Timber management; has a pri-
lary responsibility of handling tim
er sales, cruising, scaling, and check
1g ON timber buyers to see that they
onform with timber purchase con-
ractual provisions.
Until 1854, the annual timber cut
n state forest lands ran as high as
90 million board feet year. Today ,,
ne department is holding the annual
ut to an average of 25 million board
eet, primarily for two reasons: 1.
he department does not have suffi- :
ent funds to maintain a sufficient |;
umber of trained scalers and check t.
IS to adequately police cutting by :
ggers and to make sure 1oggers
ve~szf TO their ttissabez. purchase cor -.s
acts. 2. The 100 million annual cut =
as obviously a serious over cutting !
state timber reserves. Until such
me as the timber resources inven- !.
ny now in progress is completed it
the opinion of the department that
e smaller figure is more realistic =.
planning for the long-term ex- g
of the forest resource. !,
lille the cut is only fourth as much :
a few years back, better manage =
emit of timber sales and policing of =
tting operations has more than - !.
'ubled the return per thousand 2,
ard feet to the state. Timber sales ~
come, by law, goes into the Perma- =,
mt School Fund. At present the o,
nd is being increased by approx =;
ately 100000 a year from this g,
URGE.
Hazard reduction, covering con-
u of slash disposal problems on eff
tie and privately-owned timber til
Ids. By 1859 Legislative act, the DC
partment was given much greater az
thority over this phase of logging tv
erations on private lands, and now, at
the extent of it's personnel, is in a w