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Show To Prevent Forest Fires I Th -iRiit alt Ma! -iPP oprlatlon act I wlilcu Congress has lust pti-m'il makes I n.aliuble Sl"J,oQQ for Pon' Inning Wr j cooperation or tho government witu i states In the protection of forests against lire This rnnnenitlnn hpgail in 1011. tfhi n I'ungrpss first recognized the duty of the government to aid In protecting pro-tecting tne watersheds ot uc'Jgable streams by enacting the su called Weeks law. 'ih0 aw not only provided pro-vided for the purchase by tho government govern-ment or torest lands In the Cast, needed tor stream protection, but also al-so authorized tho Sect clary or Agriculture Agri-culture to cooperate with the states to prevent Ilio on ether rorest lands located on tho watersheds ot navlg ablo streams. Ah a result, prlvato owners or rorest ror-est lands in many regions have been benefitted by the establishment or a protective system or pioed efllceu-cy. efllceu-cy. During the fire season appioxlm-ately appioxlm-ately 300 patrolmen are maintained In tho field this law. They guard an area ot about 1 11,000,000 acres, for the most part mountainous and all on Important watersheds. This area is protected at a very low cost per acre. A much larger acreage Is protected In the snmo states by stato emploes and private agencies. All told, tho expenditures rrom stnte nnd private tunds are rrom three to live times as great as those trom Federal funds. Since forest (Ires by destroying the soil cover, bring about erosion In rough country, with consequent silting silt-ing up of river chr'i'K l.i aid I 'l.' of naxl"oblllty, the rn pioblem Is piip-of piip-of broad nntlnnal luiportnncp To so-( so-( .itp I'Vrteiul aid n r'ntp must have provided by luw for a e.s'.em of for eat Are protection, and Us expend! (U'pa mitat at least oqual the govern-menl's. govern-menl's. No state! s allotted more than $10 ono. Tho states which nro now r ceivlng nhl nro Malno, New I lamp shire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Con noctleut. Now York, Now derm I Moryltnd, V.'pst Virginia, Kentr.do. Mlrhlgnn, WUcouslu, Mlniien'M Sum a Ilakotu, Montana, Idaho, Wash Irgtnn and Orogon, 18 In all. The aim is to cooperate with e.er "thtn wbleh can meet tho requlr i"ppts of the law, glvinn most ashN' .lire to those which have tllfPculr n providing efficient protection. It ' 'he policy to 'llsburr" the Krni.i fund In up!i a way thot the educ, Monal valuo of tho wo"k will be '"1 , rcollzod. A spcolflc agroeraent Is made U'' ench state The govornment If m li led with the stnte'ii plan of tin I r' ' Mon. Iiir lulling ni.ii j Ii! show the areas to be Modeled, In j cation of lookout stations, heaa carters car-ters and routes of patrolmen and oin or features necessary to u clear 'Mi-demanding 'Mi-demanding of tho scheme of i.ru control. con-trol. Tho state forester or nlm lar oillcer Is given an appointment In the forest service, which nuthoilzes h'm to employ Federal patrolmen. 'I he Federal expenditures aro for the salaries sal-aries of these patrolmen. Tho patrolmen patrol-men are under tho stato forester's direction and supervision, v lib Inspection In-spection of their wrrk by the foiest service , Besides tho direct results of -patrol and other protective mcasurco t In keeping down thajlre dnmago, the educational valuoof the cooperation has been shown through a much greater enre 4aken by the public In the tiso of fire and the encouragement given states to enact legislation which will enable them to meet the requirements of the Weeks lhw. The government extends this cooperation coop-eration to all states which will qualify. quali-fy. To do this a state must establish a flro protective system and appropriate appropri-ate tunds for Its use. |