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Show CITIZENS INDIGNANT OVER FIRES DESTROYING MOUNTAIN BEAUTY t The jden chamber of commerce has (fono on record as favoring any action of the city officials county officials or the forest scrvl ;e to protect 'hi- timber ami beauty in the mountains near Offde-n. accord-Ins accord-Ins to Secretary Jmm s. Richards 'During the past few weeks several sev-eral fires have been noted In the mountains nsi of ' K' n." said Secretary Sec-retary Richards today "In many Instances the fires nave heen caused by hlki-rs who have failed to put out fires nfter preparing meals. V-l.eiievo V-l.eiievo that fires of this nature rfhbuld i.i- prevented and just steps taken to punish those responsible," t;ns Wright, one nf the directors of the (hamber of commerce, Ims offered a reward of JiJft for the arrest ar-rest and conviction -of any one starting fires In the mountains an.) leaving them Other citizens of the city are also expected to lend their support In Mopping this practice 2.-. YEARS LOST Fires such as are burning in "Jump-' mi ' canyon in the mountain range north and east of the city hall will prevent that .section from being reforested for at bast 2."i years to come. Each additional fire of such a na-J ture retards the growth of timber from in to 25 years. This was the statement made this morning by F. S Baker, forest ex-amlner ex-amlner of district four of the forest service, formerly In c harge of the I department of research and at prcs- ent in charge of the department of i public relations. Mr, Baker pointed out that prac- tically all of the heavy growth of brush on the mountainside that has not been visited by such fires con- i tnlns small Douglas fir trees urv-l Jng from six Inches to a foot In I height. I , LONG TIME GROWING It bus taken some of those trees from 1 to Jo ears lo reach their present growth, he said, due to the fact that they were entirely surrounded sur-rounded by brush and also to the dry' territory In which they were growing. , As soon ns they developed to a point where they would top the brush, he said, their growth would I,.- muc h more rapid and In time they would add materially to the beauty of the mountainside, It requires about ten years for a (portion om burnt over to get tin-I tin-I other seeding. In- said. Forest officials were a unit this morning in expressing the thought (that something should be- done to present such fires. More education Itlong that line was suggested In the 'city schools as Inspection trips taken by individuals of tin- forest service i have Bhovvn that practically all such ! fm-s are started by boys lured on by 'the desire to see the fire spreading Over tlo mountainside at night, i The domain, tiny say. does not fall within the forest service and they added that If It did Ho- Mr.-would Mr.-would have bee n put out long ago and several persons would now be either In jail or would have paid fines. County iVmmisslon.T Moroni Skeen said today that he had watched the: progress of the fire carefully and, In 1 his opinion. It has caused but little- , damage. He said ihe blase -was most- , ly confined to one small canyon and there was no valuable timber In the vicinity. So far. he assertee, the fire I had burned but Bmall sc rub oak : which se rves no purpose for a water- I shed or was of value for timber. No action will be taken by the county to check the blaze unless It reaches much trr.-nl.T proportions, he-! declared. |