Adopt Program of Guarding Watersheds

A definite program destined to save the watersheds of Southern California and to check forest fires was adopted by the one hundred and twenty representatives of c'ivic, com.mercial, official and agricultural organizations, who met at the Tavern on Mt-. f-owe, on the af-ternoon and evening of Thursday, April 30th, under the banner of the Conserva-tion Association of Southern California.

The program embraces a definite plan of co-operation between State and local officials in stimping out hres and in guarding again^st them and provides for the strengthening ofthe, forest fire-fighting agencies in the Soutliland, t6 bring them to maximum efficiincy.

.Senator.Shortridge was the principal speaker at the evening session. He urged full -co-op-eration in the task of guarding -the watersheds and in preventing fires. He discussed briefly the bill appropriating $1,000,000 for the establlshment of fire-prevenii,on igencies in Southern California. This bill provides that this ium shatl be advanced bv the Federal Government if another million is advanced bv Southern California.

Senator Shortridge was preceded by NIr. Paul G. Redington, .United States District Foresier. Mr. Redington declared that 90 per cent of the forest fires in Los Ang:eles County are preventable.

Other speakers were: W. E. Rosecrans of the L. A. Co.unty_ Conservation Association, G. H. Cecil, Supt. Angeles Na-tional Forest; Chester Jordan, Supervisoi Santa Barbara National Forest.

Officers to serve the association during the coming year were elected as follows : president, C. E. Kelsey, Veitura; first vice-president, H. S. Bissell, former president of the Los Angeles County Farm Bureau; second vice-president.

Ed Fletcher, San Diego; third vice-president, William B. Starke, San Bernardino; secretary, Harold S. Ryerson, Los Angeles; treasurer, C. H. Burnett, Los Angeles.

Outstanding among the addresses of the afternoon session was one by Frank H. Olmstead, veteran hydraulic and civil engineer of Los Angeles, on check-dams and their relation to burned-over areas.

In discussing the relation of our watersheds to the future of California, George P. Clements, director of the agricul- tural department of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, said in part:

"The nation's security rests entirely upon the health of its watersheds. In 100 years we have completely destroyed 436,000,000 acres of our superior watershed, an area equal to one-fourth of the entire area of the United States. Our short-sightedness is already costing us many billions of dollars a year in flood losses, wind-destruction losses, fire losses, navigation and crop lgsses. Y"ry- once navigable rlvers are now a memory. Thousands of lakes, streams, brooks and springs are dried up.

County Forester Stuart J. Flintham told of the work done by his department along the lines of fire prevention and reforestation.

The value of the forests of California as a source of recreation, spiritual rejuvenation and as an irresistible attraction for the tourist was discussed by Ernest McGaffey of the Automobile Club of Southern California.

What the Boy Scouts are doing and expect to do this summer in the way of conservation work was explained to delegates at the session of the Conservation Association at Mt. Lowe yesterday by Field Scout Executives L. E. Hoffman and C. K. Hannison.

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Member Mills:

Nblon Lumber Company

Caepar Lumber Company

Dolbeer & Carson Lumber Co.

Glen Blalr Redwood Co,

Hammond Lumber Company

J. R. Hanlfy Company

Hobbe, Wall & Company

Holmes Eureka Lumber Co.

Llttle Rlver Redwood Co.

Mendoclno Lumber Co.

Northweetern Redwood Co.

Redwood Manufacturers Co.

The Paciflc Lumber Co.

Unlon Lumber Company