The people's voice. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1939-1969, 1960-09-02

forest fire research center of the ma
ton on September II with dedication
of the u. S. Forest Services new
Northern Forest Fire Laboratory.
At the lab, which cost some $780,
900 to build and ultimately will take
more than 100000 a year to staff
and operate, researchers will study
the cause and behavior of fires and
continue to work on possible ways to
take the sting out of lightning, which
causes 70 per cent of the forest fires
in the Rocky Mountain states. This
year, fires nationwide destroyed an
estimated SIT million worth of tim
Der, in addition to incalculable lat
least 5000 million worthy damage to
recreation, watershed and fish and
wlldlife resources. Federal, state and
private interests spent $103 million
on fire control in 1859.
When they started the move for
the lab three years ago, Senator Muir
ray, Senator Mansfield and Congress-
man Metcalf figured it will I1more
than pay for itself in savings in fire
control costs and reduction of dam
age to essential natural resources"
In 1857, the 3Ms introduced legis--
lation to authorize three such centers.
AS part of committee consideration
of these bills, a report came in from
the Agriculture Department. That re-
port said the Department had the
to buid such labs, would
do so when specific provision is
made in an appropriation act for such
So Metcalf stated the case for the
lab in an appearance ON behalf of the
BINS before the House Appropriation
Committee in 1853. Murray and
appeared for the three
before the Senate Appropriations
Committee, which voted to put up
The money. The Senate approved the
appropriation. The three then went
20 work on members of the confer
ence committee, which met to resolve
he differences between the versions
IF the same bill as passed by each
house. The money stayed in.
Metcalf will be among speakers
vt the dedication.
OF FIRES
Seven Congressman from three
western states-among them Metcalf |
md Anderson-seek additional funds
% reseed and replant thousands of |
Icres of public land swept by forest
md range fires this year.
In request for supplemental
hat is for an appropriation in addi-
ion to that regularly dgeted-the
said the Forest Serv-
&c needed an additional $1.3 million,
he Bureau of Land Management SIS
nillion, to rehabilitate land burned
his year.
Congressman Al Ullman (D-Ore.)
before House Appropria-
ions subcommittee to present the
ase for the seven that the request
vas less than half enough to do the
ob.
BIASED on an absolute minimum
llowance of $40 per acre, it will take
3 million to carry out this necessary
and reforestation pro-
ram on 100000 acres of national
orests," Ullman said. "As you know,
10 per acre is very low even if all ,
ne reseeding were done aerially. We {
rye that the committee make $3.5
lillion available for this emergency
rogram, including restoration of the
an Dimas Experimental Forest" 8
They urged that the BLM appro-
ration be doubled tfthe minimal :
mount if we are to meet this years r
eeds and not see our range revegeta-
on program fall still further be- /
nd"
In supporting statement, Metcalf ,
lid the Administration request would
Ike care of less than half the 8,491 !
,res of national forest and 7,715 |,
BIN rangeland burned in Mon
ma so far this year.
lining LEGISLATION
The Senate has cleared to the
'hite House a bill, cosponsored by
enator Murray and Congressman
etcalf, to give a hand to small
'mestic lead and zinc producers. t
The measure, referred to as the t