OCR Text |
Show CARELESSNESS WITH FIRE ENDANGERS RECREATION That human carelessness is endangering endan-gering public recreation on Ihe National Na-tional Forests states1 District Forester R. H. Ruthledge. This is shown by an incident which occurred last week when J. A. Knox and Wm. P. Hirt, of Boise left a camp fire unextinguished unextin-guished in a dangerous location while on a fishing trip along the state highway on the north fork of Payette River canyon between Banks and 'Smith's Ferry, Idaho. This unextinguished unextin-guished fire was located by State Fire Warden A. F. Connrod an dMr. H. C. Shellworth, secretary, of the South Idaho Timber Protective association, who overtook them in an automobile and required them to return immediately immedi-ately to the fire and thoroughly extinguish ex-tinguish it. A hearing in th" case was held at Boise, May 21. As a result re-sult the U. S. commissioner felt that the defendants had been careless in failing to extinguish their fire and they were bound over to the V. C. district court which will convene at Boise, September 8. Such carelessness careless-ness as this is particularly reprehensible repre-hensible at this time when the woods jaro perhaps drier than they have ever been at this time of year since j white men came into the region- If such carelessness cannot be cured j through public education, the forester fores-ter has authorized Forest Supervisors Supervis-ors to exercise drastic regulation? suited to the needs of the occasion on their different forests regulations regula-tions which will interfere greatly with the usual freedom of movement and I camping upon the National forests. In regions of extreme fire hazard it !is possible the camping and building camp fires may not be allowed except on permit and smoking may be entirely en-tirely prohibited within National forests. It is far better, says Mr. 'Ru'tledge that the public should be inconvenienced to a certoin degree i one year than that its recreations! ;t.-::s should he turned into barren wastes for many years. The bet of all, however, would be su-!i a keen appreciation cf the j - ;aifi';;in that there would 1'- no need to fear for the fir-'1 caused by Ih'iTran K-lags. f:res which nuw .amount to abmit half the total num-j num-j ber suffered in National fare's of the Intermountaln region each year. |