Michael Sol Collection

JANUARY, 1910 THE TIMBERMAN 32E

FOREST FIRES IN OREGON, WASHINGTON .AND IDAHO DURING THE YEAR 1909Reports Demonstrate that Even With aVery Small Appropriation and Systematic Forest Fire righting the Hazard to

Timber Holdings Has Been Greatly Reduced.

• 8,100.00302.60

1,300.001,160.002,100.00

100.00900.00

1,700.004,234.771,100.00

190.25

..3:698:601,300.00

.301,900.003,100.001,837.60

..i:i46:00.26

1,660.001,846.00

;34:308:52

.... 320:00320.00600.00

4,267.06

. ... 607:0016.00

120.001,242.00

... 659:00126,164.71

$ 183.64

62.606,434.004,194.416,078.76

346.97126.12162.94

... i4S:S496.00..........

461.4610.60

8.16361.27

$ 421.90

.. ··S64:io721.22419.01613.30823.96620.26

1,120.90537.66

41.60934.66

1,106.27610.76

.. ··409:~O

2,399.071,038.00

4d4.HO1,004.06

850.46649.73494.8'8

iii:7aS:24

. '"'

... '29,9'00'.0045,110.0039,975.0023.198.6023,500.0031,600.00

.... ·5,oai:ciO

·i:so",400:00123.513.00

1,170.00682.92

87,776.()0............1,300.00

$ 2,733.26

· ... '6:3'43'.003,003.00

47,476.0063',37&.00

. ... ·i.is6:00$2,4mi. 77~.67

9603,226

1,635

.·i;.ooi23:378

.. i:ooo60

360

5003,0003,6007,000

300

468

:r:c: ~. =:~: ?

2,300.0003,470.0003,076,0001,7,84.6005.600,0009.600.000

... '387',000

210,250

$ 3.25096,849

6,50032.60016,57662,000

186,26042,676

143,97629,26091.80626,00077,233

13'0,00014,92413.000

191.360208,000148,33098.80023.621

3,250284,766

13$1,908,o.A •

i38:S00.000 .9,601.000

90,00044.840

6,752.000..........100,000

285,000..........411,000231.000

3.652,0004,S76,OOO..........

246.000191,213,690

Merchantable Timber Destroyed.

>(')""t('I)UI

7611

716294

2.4301,760

2461.037

1,602.6

491514

1.737951

1.8013,299.53.086

.i:370275

18.8606,700

98

15.901100

12

81

260.0007,313,000

600,0002,600,0001,276,0004,000,000

14,260,0003,276,000

11,076,0002.250.0007,Ge2,0002,000,0006,941.000

10,000,0001,148,0001,000,000

13,960.00016,000,00011,410,0007,600,0001,817.000

250,00021.882.000

1,000146.809,000

measured by the '200,000,000 of stumpage valueson which will be spent when converted tnto lum­ber. $8 to '10 per thousand additional, providingan asset of over two bUlIon dollars In state andprivate lands, a sum so stupendous as to staggerthe imagination, and at the same time exhibit analmost wanton carelessness In providing some-

630

· ··490234

1.392321

'i:28630

6

361,600

· ···28665

· ·'860676

22.292

i4:078100

2

81

72111,764

2601,800'

6278,0464,925

4392.2261.6946,926

6801,7132,3804,042

4601,8984,1963,1084,0161,602

6303,161

2466,079

:f:• ::s:?

715760220

1,700676

1.0404,366

3101,772

784

· ····3~1,3121,660

·".io1,3402,636

4303,662

750620664

26:42i

661

2040

20

"440

606

16060

48772.6

790

··i76·'240

3361,700

Area Burned Over.

. ·'78520

· "'io820

:1,94436060

3202,040

. ·'9202,670

160426

29720

12,631

Area Burned Over.

266.6

230296630

1,3142.0122.265

.i:is9

t28

1160274

1,680645

2433,137.6

17,0264,000

98

1,172

10t

10'10,229

20100

513,200

57012944390

4,981150361400

2,00240

668640

8304427

102,31i)

427,027

FOREST FIRES IN THE STATE OF WASHINGTON 1909(Total Reported tor State, Including National Fore.ta)

M'-er-c""':""ha-n--:-"ta--:b--I--e-=T1=-=--m-::'"b-e-r----------Destroyed. Cost of Fighting Fire

County-

---------------------------Baker 23Benton. •Clackamas 11Clatsop 14Columbia 21Coos 8Crook 24Curry............. 8Douglas 49Gilliam •Grant 16Huney •Hood River 3Jackson 27Josephine 32Klamath 14lAke 8lAne ~

Lincoln 2Linn 8Malheur 1Marlon 6Morrow •Multnomah . . . 6Polk •Tillamook . . . . . . . . 8UmatlUa 2Union 14Wallowa 7Wasco 11Washington 21Wheeler •yamhill........... 4

T'otals 413

000,000 worth of timber. Had DO patrol force;with only one deputy fire warden In each county,who Is supposed to care for 500,000 acres of land,besides Issuing permits, It Is on the 'face of It pre­posterous to expect results.

"The Legislature appropriated for the year 1909and 1910 '4'6,000. This infinitesimal sum, when

County-

• No fires reported. +Area burned over and damage not given. :t Acreage and damage not given.Note.-Ex:pendltures F'lghUng and Preventing Fire, by Individuals, Lumber Companies, etc., include cost of

pa.trol during the fire season, It being Impossible to separate the time spent In actual fire-ftghtlng from thatspent In patrol.

The figures naturallv show leE than actual expenditures, for the reason that all reports to the State Boardof Forestry were voluntary, the. State not furnlahlng any funds either for reporting or fighting fire.

In addition to the cost of flghtlng fires as above, th~ Forestry Service expended '6~2.20.84.

Z?o.;

Note.-Expendltures under "Cost of Fighting Fire. by individuals, Lumber Companies, Etc.." Include costof three months patrol maintained by the Washington Forest FIre Association, It being Imp08slble to separatethe time Its rangers spent In actual fire fighting from that spent In patrol. Expenditures "By State, County orTown" represent for the most part actual fire fighting This table does not take Into account expendlures bythe Forest Service, which amounted to $11,710.80 addltlonal.

FOREST FIRES IN THE STATE OF OREGON 1909(Total R('ported tor State, Including National Foreata)

Chehal1s 45Chelan 29Clellan 2Clarke 16Cowlitz •........ 47Ferry 22Island 46J etrerson . . . 2King ..•......... 154Kltsap 57Kltltas 20Klickitat 1Lewis 127Mason 39Okanogan 27Pacific 6Pierce 192Skagit .....•.... 166Skama.nla 11Snohomish 213Stevens 6Thurston .. . . . . . 31Whatcom " 60Yakima 11

Total 1,309

WASHINGTON.

D. P. Simons, Jr., Chief Fire Warden of theWashington Forest Fire Association, has Issuedhis annual report to the board of trustees. In aninterview with Mr. Simons, covering the saUentpoints In his report, he says:

"The patrolmen are appointed forest rangers atlarge, by the State Fire Warden and furnishedwith a ·badge of authority. Rangers execute anoath of office. They have authority to arrestwlthont warrant persons violating the fire law,and also may prohibit burning of slashlngs whenin their opinion adjoining property Is endangered.State Fire Warden instructs his deputies to sendall permits for burning to patrolmen, who dellverthe permits to the applicant, after making an ex­amination of the propriety of the burning of theslashing and fixing the date of burning. Patrol­men are equipped with proper tools. In additionto the equipment, six motor cycles, one motorboat and one saddle horse were added. The re­sults obtained from the motor cycles were verygratifying. Men were able in some Instances tocover 200 miles per day. The motor boat wasplaced on Hoods Canal, and provided ready meansof transportation. A special report on railroadfires was prepared by an Inspector who made It hisbusiness to investigate the condition of locomo­tives as regards cinder screens. Suggestions tothe patrolmen were Issued from time ,to time, call­ing the attention of loggers and millmen to thenecessity for placing proper equipment on loco­motives and donkey engines to prevent the es­cape of sparks. Five thousand notIces were post­ed by the patrolmen. The attention of operatorswas called to the menace existi;ng in the stubsof dead trees left standing, and asking their co­operation by cutting these stubs at the time oflogging. Replies received Indicate that the log­gers realize the necessity for action along thisUne. Many have been cutting stubs and deadtrees for several years. One noticeable feature ofthe past season's work was the changed attitudeof the people. Patrolmen were successful in over­coming the prejudice of operators and securingtheir co-operatlon In placing spark arresters onlocomotives, donkey engines and mill stacks. Thesentiment favorable to forest protection Is grow­Ing.

uThe supervisors of National Forests were sup­plted with a list of patrolmen whose districtjoined the reserve boundaries, and the associationwas In turn furnished lists' of' Government rangersand guards, thereby co-operating In the exchangeof Information.

"The season of 1909 was the dryest in 40 years.Despite this fact, there were fewer fires reportedIn the dtslrlct patrolled than In the season of1908. The first force was pul to work about May1, and increased as became necessary. The num­ber varied 'from 65 to 100 during the dryest period.The number of small flres reported was as fol­lows:

June.................................. 131July.. . .. .. 216August 333September 87

Total 767"The greatest damage was done during the lat­

ter part of July, August and September. Thereports on fires in district covered by the service,gave 1128 acres of merchantable timber, 16,138acres of cut-over land burned over. making atotal of 17,167. During the. dangerous periodprobably 1,000 men were employed by the associa­tion and the state, as extra helpers in fightingftres. It Is estimated that a total area of 32,918acres were burned. Of this amount, 3,000 acres

. was green timber, Including logging works. Therewas probably 61,500,000 feet of lumber destroyedin standing timber and cut logs. If this timberhad been saved there would probably have beenspent In wages In trans'formlng It Into lumber,over '500,000. The other losses, such as saw­mUls, logging equipment and other property, wouldapproximate close to '500,000, making a total ofover $1,000.000. The territory covered by theWashington Forest Fire Association is approxi­mately 8,000~000 acres. Washington owns $2i>O,-

Michael Sol Collection

F THE TIMBERMAN JANUARY, 1910

RABB TI1NG ATTAC ENT

to fit ny Philbrick FlooringH • for Shi I p or

R tic.

SSOAYBE RO

PHILBRICK CUTTER HEAD CO.SEATTLE,.WASH.

YOU

1857-Fifty-tbree Y ra in Sui ..-1910

A. LESCHEN & SONS ROPE CO.ark

ATTL 0

313 PACIFICPORTLAND AG T

St. Loui

ZIM ERMAN- ELLS-BROWN CO.

When a firm tells you they can save you money,"You've got to be shown."

If they make good they are your friends.If they don't, they keep out of your way.You notice we are not keeping out of your way.We know we can save you money on wire rope

and logging supplies.That's why we are continually reminding you of

the superiority of our lines.The satisfaction they give others they can most

assuredly give to you. .You will get more use out of a "YELLOW­

STRAND POWER STEEL" line than anyother wire rope on the market, and you willbe away ahead in hard cash as well.

Isn't it worth while to use something that has areputation as the best &11 over the UnitedStates

Send us your orders.

Loggers' Logic

o. A, STEWART, Mana&,er

PORTLAND : OREGON

S. B. HICKS & SONS CO.

EVERYTHINGFORTHE SAWMILLAND LOGGING CAMP

About 70 per centof the orden we getfor 8 earing Metalfor armature linerscall for John Finn'sArmoature Metal, 10

we have

Changed theMould toCorrespond

Wt Wisb You JillJI fiappy and Prosptrous

ntW Ytir

JOHN FINN METAL WORKSMANU FACTURERS OF

BABBITT METALS, SOLDERS AND TYPE ME1'ALS

2730-32 Seventh Avenue So., Seattle, Wash.P. O. Box 1873

384 SECOND STREET, SAN FRANCISCO, CAUFORNIA

Michael Sol Collection

JANUARY, 1910

thing liKe adequate measure of protection throughpatrol system. Sixty per cent. of forest fires orig­nate from sparks from locomotives. Fires startingfrom rangers' slashings, those set by cinders,campers and fishermen, contributed to the balance,with no fires trom lightning during 1909.

"The use of fuel oil cannot be too strongly rec­ommended. It reduces fire hazard to a minimum.The C., M. & St. P. raflroad Is utilizing oil, withvery beneficial results. The hazard originatingfrom ranchers' slashings is a hard problem, owingto the difficulty In obtaining permits to burn. Thelaw should be more elastic, as ranchers cannotburn unless conditions are favorable, and thisoften happens before the permit reaches them orafter the date set for burning by the Fire War­den. The greatest peril to the forests of WesternWashington lies in the slashings left by loggers,debris on rights or way and pubUc highways. Ithas been suggested by some loggers that thebrush should be pfled in wind-rows, leaving it Inehape to handle when It Is set afire. Railroadsshould be compelled to plow a strip on each sideof the right of way.

OREGON.

Secretary WasteIl, or the State Forestry Board,In his report on the forest fires of Oregon duringthe year 1909,' says:

The total figures are shown below:Number ot fires.............................. 41!Merchantable Umber acres 33,137.6Second growth, not yet merchantable .. acres 5.607.C)CUt-over land acres 22,292rotal acreage ...................•........... 61.037Merchantable timber destroyed, feet, B. M .. 191.213.690Value If It had been manufactured.......... $2,486,776Cost of fighting and preventing fires by in-

dividuals. lumber companies, etc.......... $26,164Cost of fighting and preventing fires by for-

est service ............................•..• $6.220

For the sake of comparison, figures were sub­Dlitted of the expenditures, number of fires, etc.,in the State of Washington, indicating that whileOregon had only 413 fires, Washington had 1,309fires,· but while Oregon lost nearly 200,000,000teet, board measure, of standing timber, Wash­Ington, with three times as many fires only lostabout 150)000,000 feet of standing timber.

While the State or Washington bore '15,7005of the expense of figh tlng fires, the State of Ore­gon spent no money In this direction. The forest

THE TIMBERMAN

service expended '5,220 In Oregon and $11,710In Washington.

The splendid showing In Washington, consider­ing the large number of fires and the compara­tively small amount of timber destroyed, Is dueto the organized effort of private timber ownersthrough the medium or the Washington ForestFire Association, as well as to the state andgovernment, which participated so fully In thiswork. A few big fires in remote districts ofOregon continued burning for weeks, coveringa large area, whereas in Washington the firesw~re subdued promptly through having fire fight­log forces available.

IDAHO.

The fourth annual report of the Coeur d'AleneTimber Protective Association· has been issuedand shows In a comprehensive manner the splen­did progress which this Association has made Ineffective fire fighting during the year 1909. Presi­dent Flewelling, In his report, says:

Gentlemen of the Assoclatlon:-Thls Is the close ofthe fourth fiscal year ot the Coeur d'Alene TimberProtective Association, the pioneer In this work In thePacific Northwest.

Four years ago the timber owners in the Coeurd'Alene basin, which Included the timber tributary tothe drainage of the Coeur d'Alene river and lad<e, theSt. Joe and St. Maries rivers. assoctated themselvesfor the purpose ot patrolling the forests In theIr ter­ritory a,nd preventing, as far as possible, the settlngof ,fires In the dry season and controlling and ex­tinguishing fires that might become dangerous anddestructive. Into this work was brought the mostaggressive, modern, scientific methods of tire protec­tion, the work being done along broad and intelligentlines by the thorough business men who composed theofficial board of the association.

The business has been financed by a pro ra ta as­sessment on an acreage basis on the land of the mem­bers.

In the second year of our existence our legislativecommittee drafted and succeroed In passing throughthe Idaho legislature the "Fallon Fire Law," underwhich the state pa.ys Its pro rata portion per acreon its land In our territory the same 8S private own­ers. The government has also In districts, whe-repractical. co-operated with us In our work.

Our patrolmen covered 1.200.000 acres during the lastseason; and the total loss of timber by fires in ourdistrict was only 400.000 feet of standing timber and260,000 feet of sawlogs, which were burned on theskids. The total cost to the members for the servicefor the year Is approximately two cents per acre fortheir holdings. J4"or a detailed statement of theamounts collected and expended, the number of firesand the method of handling the same and the numberof miles of trails a,nd roads cut, etc., I refer you tothe annual report of the fire committee, which will te

32G

furnished each member, which ehow8 conclualvely thesplendid success of careful business methods applfedto forest protection.

From the nucleus we have formed have sprung threeadditional fire associations In the state ot Idaho, viz:The Pend d'Orellle Timber Protective Association, cov­ering the Panhandle of Idaho. north ot Coeur d'Alenel.8Jke; the Potlatch Timber Protective Association, cov­ering the territory tributary to the river bearing thatname, and the Clearwater Timber Protective Associa­tion. covering all the territory embraced in the greatClearwater districts so called. Each of these auocla­tlons Is modeled atter this, the pioneer association:each having a uniform system ot management and ac­counting, and each is carrying out the same good busi­ness principles walch have brought succeS8 to us andwhich Is bringing suereess to them.

As the direct result of our succeMful operation theWashington FIre Association, covering the territorywest ot Ule C~cades In the state of Washington, hasbeen formed, ano Ita work for the last two years hasbeen highly gratifying. So Has there also resultedtrom our beginning organizations ot similar char­acter In the states of Montana, Oregon and California..

As we look ~ack over the four years la8t passed Ithink we may be pardoned If we point with prideto our accomplishments. which have resulted fromhard. unselfish work and the co-operation of ourfriends, and I wish now to pUblicly tha.nk the NationalForestry Bureau, the state officials of Idaho and theofficers and members of this assoc1atlon each for thepart they have had In contributing to our success.

The secretary's report showed the followingmembership, with number of acres or timberlandrepresented by each:

NAME. ACR~.Milwaukee Land Company 100,160State ot Idaho 89.180Coeur d'Alene Lumber Company 38,210C. R. Smith ...................................• 20,620McGoldrick Lumber Company................... 14,320Potlatch Lumber Company 17.260Stack-Gibbs Lumber Company.................. 9,000W. E. McCord.................................. 4.840Reeves-Ferrell Lumber Company................ 3,200Cameron Lumber Company 23,800E. Rutledge Timber Company 49,670C'learwater Timber Company.................... 1,960Blackwell Lumber Company.................... 8,840Connolly Bros _. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6,960Lane Lumber Company......................... 6,320Rose Lake Lumber Company.................... 3,740Springston Lumber Company _. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1,600A. A. D. Hahn. Agent - _. _. . . . . . . . . . . .. 9.820Federal Mining & Sln.€'ltlng Company.......... 600S. H. L. Lumber Company...................... 480Rradford-Kenned)O Company.................... 320Bonners Ferry Lum..,er mpany. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 680Bunker Hili & Sullivan. Company................ 720O. C. Rice _. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 320Geo. Steele. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 880r~eon Demers.................................... 320H. R. Freeland _. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 160H. C. Glidden ~ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120Northern Pacific Railway Company 75.900IndIvidual Owners............................... 1,840

490,83'0

THE QUARTERLY MEETING OF' THE OREGON CONSERVATION ASSOCIATIONMr. Langille then expressed his opinion that

the Oregon Conservation Asscklatlon and tbeWestern Forestry and Conservation Associationcould work together admirably, whfle the largerorganization could get out on the firing Une anddo things. We In our state organization couldmold public sentiment, arrange for popular meet­Ings addressed by good speakers, and take careof many features of this kind as well a8 glveattention to the other resources o't the state towhich Mr. Knapp had referred.

He considered that it was of extreme Im­portance that every effort should be made look­ing to the extension of the work of the geologicalsurvey, In which, the state has failed to do Itspart. A topographic atlas of the state Is e86entlaland legislation should be urged to make an ap­propriation for a part of the expense, and theg€ologlcal survey w111 appropriate an equalamount to that furnished by the Legislature forthis very important work.

He further stated that the Oregon ConservationAssociation should stand back of the Interstateorganization up to Its full strength, and proposeda resolution, as 'follows, which was duly secondedand unanimously carried:

"The Oregon Conservation Association heartilyendorses the Western Forestry and Conservation

The r6gular quarterly meeting of the OregonConservation ASboclatton was held In the Port­land Commerlcal Club at 8 P. M., December 20,1909, with good attendance.

On account of the absence from the city ofPresident Mulkey and Vice-Presidents Teal andHawkins, the meeting was called to order byA. B. Wastell, secretary, and ·H. D. Langilleelected temporary chairman.

The report of the financial secretary showedthe general condition ot the treasury as follows:Sept. 2o-Balance cash on hand $ 162.10Received dues active members................ 2.00Received dues sustaining members........... 10.00

$' 164.10

Disbursed per Vouchers 23 to 26 Inclusive ..... $ 63.46Dec. 2o-Balance cash on hand.............. 110.65

$ 164.10H. D. Langille then submitted a report or

the special committee appointed at the Sep­tember meeting to investigate the depredationsof Insects Injurious to forests, which Is printedelsewhere.

Upon motion the report of the special com­mittee on Insect pests was accepted, the com­mittee glven a vote of tuanks and requested tocontinue Its research and report at the next meet­in, with the understanding that the widest pos­sible pubJlclty would be given to the committee'sreport, which was fully approved and declaredone of the most Interesting and comprehensivereports complied In connection with this veryImportant subject.

The secretary was Instructed to again writeto Oregon's Senators and Congressmen In con­nection with previous correspondence remindingthem ot promised co-operation in urging Increasedappropriations for the Department of Agriculture,so that the Bureau of Entomology could furtherInvestigate Insect pests.

E. T. Allen, forester for the Western Forestryand Conservation Association, was then requestedto address the meeting, informally, in relation

to the alms an'd purposes of this new organization.The Western Forestry and Conservation As­

sociation reprasents and Is maintained by thestate and local associations as a central mediumto further the harmonious eJrective execution offorest fire prevention, conservative forest manage·ment, reforesting of cut-over land, improvementof tax methods, preservation of tstream flow,and all other practical conservation measures.

It works to encourage and a~slst timber ownersIn organizing forest fire associations to protectstanding timber, and to adopt systems which willInsure reforestatio~o"t denuded lands. This wasthe obj~ct in employing Mr. Allen as forester.Part of his work Is to make plans for handlingtimber lands by owners who have signified a de·sire to try adyanced methods.

The Pacific Coast has peculiar advantages forreforestation. There is no reason why Its lumberIndustry should not be perpetuated, or why Umbershould not forevel' supply tax revenue to supportthe government. All that is necessary to insureit Is a reduction of the fire hazard and a modifica­tion of the methods of taxln g cut-over land soas to have only a low fixed burden during thenon-productive period, and have the full taxpostponed untll the timber Is ready to cut.

Mr. Allen believed that In Oregon one of thefirst steps should be taken by timber ownersthemselves by organizing forest fire associations Association, and pledges Itself to stand back oflike those' of Idaho and Washington. Although' and assist In any way possible to extend the v~rythey now do a great deal in the way of patrol, -important work of the Interstate association.more perfected organizations would lead sooner M. J. Kinney then brought out some pertinentto state and publlc co-operation In protecting facts in regard to the harm that insects do In'what are really public resources. the timber, by killlng the seed of the trees, and

F. C. Kn-app supported what Mr. Allen had thought special attention should be given to thissaid and stated that up to this time the con- feature by the Bureau of Entomology.servation mOVelnp.nt in the Northwest had largely General discussion was then beld on the goodbeen carried forward by tlmbermen who came of the association and as to means of gettingfrom the East where timber had been destroyed. more members, and It was announced that mem-

As far as the Oregon Conservation Association bers joining now would be credited for a periodis concerned, its Interest is not only timber, but of fifteen months until 1\'1 arch, 1911, for regularwater power, irrigation and reclamation; and annual dues of $2 for active members, and $10other rich resources of the state, such as Its for sustaining members.minerals will require the thought and study of Respectfully submitted.the Con~ervatlon Association. A. B. WASTELL, Secretary.