| Show FOREST FOIST FIRES nets ARE LAID TU TO Number of Man-Caused Man Blazes on Woodlands Gradually Decreasing Says U. U S. S Official Fourteen per cent of the fores fires during 1922 are arc laid to been been- by Col Cot W. W B B. B Greeley I chief of or the tho forest service In his annual report to the secretary of i ture Except for highly localized d sore l spots' spots of man-caused man I fires on the time national forests appear to be bo decreasing Colonel Greel Greeley y I reports Fires swept swept over o acres of ot national fOl forest st land and and destroyed timber and property valued at nt exclusive of damage to young oung growth The Tile area burned In 1922 was nearly equal to the area destro destroyed ed by flames In 1921 but the damage was vas almost twice as great because of more serious conflagrations con t In stands of merchantable merchant- merchant able timber Man caused fires again were re responsible me- me for 64 per cent of or all fires lires and lightning accounted for 36 percent per per i ce cent The e 1922 season was marked marked- b by by i unusual weather conditions the tile nor I port continues Flies Flics occurred earl early I I i in June in most of the tile national foz foe foe- ests and a severe fire tire season wain wallin was wall in prospect but rains and cooler I I weather r in July and August if afforded ark af- forded a respite RAINS ARE FEW The rhe situation then became critical I cal eal a 1 again Colonel Greeley said Xo No precipitation ot or any anY consequence consequence conse conse- conte- conte quence occurred during September and most of October a a very ery unI unusual unusual un un- un- un usual prolongation of the tile danger I period In Utah Nevada Ne 8 southern Idaho and southwest Wyoming the I heaviest expenditures for fire fighting fight fight- ing lag were In late Q find l early October In California the them m I p peak alt of the fire season was reached during tile the latter part of ber I The federal government expended expended expend expend- expend expend- ed 6 to fight forest fires durIng during dur Our ing 1922 No Ko figures are yet available available available avail avail- able as to the 1923 fire season I which although ended in and western vestern forests is not completed ed cd In the southern national nailon I for forests st where an unfavorable fire seas season n is I being bing experienced r fi The extent to which national forests forests forests for for- ests are being used for recreational purposes Is disclosed in the fact tact that well over o persons vi visited visited vl- vl I sited sHed them during 1923 Colonel Greeley said i In his report Within I six years tears ars the number of visitors I has doubled The chief forester pre- pre I diets that each year will see more and more take tale advantage of these lands ENCOURAGES MOVEMENT The use pf naU national nal forests for recreation Is In all aU respects descrying deservIng deserving descry descry- ing of encouragement the forestry chief reports It no small part of the country's population tion- tion tiona a valuable opportunity and privilege Properly for recreational recreational rec rec- use will add valuable elements ele ele- dc- dc ments mems to our national life lire without seriously Impairing the capacity of I the tho forests to create wealth or render render render ren ren- der other public services The wild life resources of the tile national forests must be adminIstered administered administered adminis adminIs- fostered and utilized much as asare asare asare are the timber and forage resources The cost of this activity in comI common com corn mon with providing facilities for recreation and conserving the I sources of water will never be re recovered recovered re- re covered cred in the form of commercial receipts but Is Justified by the valuable valuable valuable val val- public service which the thena- thena na- na forests can thus More game refuges and fish breeding streams and ponds londs should be set aside to pr provide for protected protected protected pro pro- breeding to meet the increasing use of the tile forests for recreational purposes Careful consideration con must be given to available available avail all able food supplies for the desirable animals and a system of regulated I used fOOd devised that will prevent de depletion depletion de- de of all aU wild life lite |
