the quarterly publication of the forest fire...

www.firelookout.org

· Lookouts Protected from Fires· Lookout Grand Openings in New York and Colorado· Green Mountain Bill Passes out of House Committee

LLLLLOOKOOKOOKOOKOOKOUT NETWOUT NETWOUT NETWOUT NETWOUT NETWORKORKORKORKORKTHE QUARTERLY PUBLICATION OF THE FOREST FIRE LOOKOUT ASSOCIATION, INC.

VOL. 24 NO. 3 AUTUMN 2013

2 LOOKOUT NETWORK Autumn 2013

teamed up to serve alternate duty as receptionist at the forestryoffice. The Florida Forest Service provided FFLA with a list ofpossible locations. The program looked promising, but we wereunable to interest the snowbirds or anyone else and after onlya year it fizzled.

Following the success of the Fire Lookout Host programson the three National Forests in southern California, along withthe volunteer staffing programs in many states that still stafflookouts, we tried again in 2013 to develop a new FloridaFirewatchers program. The Florida Forest Service wasinterested in partnering with FFLA and local communityorganizations to make this a reality. The first step was to identifylocal groups that might participate and would provide thevolunteers. We fizzled on the first step.

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection,known as CalFire, has an impressive statewide network of well-constructed lookouts built to stay there. With budget cuts, theystaff very few of them, but do welcome volunteer observerswhen they can get them. CalFire has expressed an interest inworking with FFLA, and in 2011 we created a fourth FFLAchapter in the state to focus on the rest of the state outside ofthe National Forest system that is protected by CalFire. Thenwe lost the Director of the new California Pacific Chapter andthis great mission fizzled.

It seems ironic that with such incredible opportunity,stunning lookouts to enjoy, and a membership of proven “cando” lookout enthusiasts that we continue to fuddle and fizzle.

“All politics is local,” and so are the roots of true leadership.We have a history of asking, even begging, leaders to step up.That just is not working, and some of us are running out oftime. FFLA must have more leaders come forward.

When I and others Stand Down (as indeed we must)…….will you Stand up? By the authority of the honor youhave given me to be your Chair for these many years, I amappointing a committee to find new leaders. So far, I am theonly volunteer! Don’t leave me as a committee of one to fizzle!Email me now! We can do this! Keith A. Argow

CEO/Chairman of the [email protected]

LOOKOUT NETWORK (ISSN 2154-4417), is published quarterly by theForest Fire Lookout Association, Inc., Keith Argow, Publisher, 374 MapleAve E, Ste 310, Vienna, VA 22180. Subscription: $15.00 per year, includedin annual Forest Fire Lookout Association membership dues. Non-profitpostage paid at Canton, OH and at additional mailing offices.POSTMASTER: Please send address changes to Forest Fire LookoutAssociation, 2590 W Versailles Dr, Coeur d’Alene, ID 83815-8127.Subscribers: Please send us your old address as well as your new addresswhen you move. The Postal Service will not forward your newsletter unlessyou guarantee forwarding postage with your local post office.

cover photo: Star trails at Poker Jim Lookout, Ashland, MT (see page 13)

DEADLINE FOR NEXT ISSUE:October 15, 2013

Gary Weber, Editor2590 W Versailles Dr, Coeur d’Alene, ID 83815

email:[email protected]

ON THE LOOKOUTFrom the

National ChairmanKeith A. Argow

Vienna, VirginiaAutumn 2013

BEFIZZLED AND BEFUDDLEDWE ARE RIGHTLY PROUD OF OUR SUCCESSES…… BUT WE CAN’T IGNORE THE FIZZLE

A quick scan of just the last 40 issues of our highlyacclaimed LOOKOUT NETWORK MAGAZINE tells an inspiringstory of the accomplishment of the men and women that makethe FFLA what it is. We have been involved in projectsstretching from British Columbia to Florida and from Maine tosouthern California near the Mexican border. We have 32Chapter Directors with four chapters in California alone. Untilrecent years we had an appointed State Representative in everystate without a chapter. Across the U. S. FFLA has been involved in nearly 100restoration projects, most, but not all, in partnership with theU.S. Forest Service. One of those, Squaw Mountain Lookouton the Arapaho National Forest west of Denver, was an eight-year effort with the Colorado Forestry Association and partners.Just recently dedicated (see p.7), the lookout now rents for$80 a night. In theory it is also available for volunteer fireobserver duty, but incredibly the Front Ranger communities ofEvergreen and Conifer, both recent victims of home-burningwildfires, have not grasped the importance of the earliestdetection by experienced eyes in keeping fires small. While we are a national association on paper with membersin 46 states, we are better described as dedicated bands oflocal individuals excited over their own special fire lookout andwilling to put their time or money down to restore, protect, andmaybe staff it. FFLA can help with our relatively smallrestoration grants, seed money really, plus our resource of folkswho have walked the walk and can serve as mentors. These local initiatives can be recognized as Local Chaptersgiving them the backing and access to FFLA’s expertise andresources. The accomplishments of our largest local chapter,San Diego-Riverside, have been regularly reported on thesepages and do us all proud. They are a spin-off of the verysuccessful volunteer lookout staffing programs on the SanBernardino and Angeles National Forests supported by theSouthern California Chapter.

NOW FOR THE FIZZLEGood intentions, great ideas, and missed opportunities.

We are seeing just too many of that last point. Six years ago,the FFLA and Florida Forest Service organized a SnowbirdVolunteer Fire Observer program. Every winter a large numberof retired couples come down to Florida to escape the coldweather. They are known by the locals as “snowbirds.” Manyare on a fixed income. The idea was to provide a no-cost padfor an RV with water, electricity and sewer (about an $800/month value at a RV park) at fire tower locations in exchangefor volunteer observer duty. In one case the wife and husband

Autumn 2013 LOOKOUT NETWORK 3

2014 Eastern/Southern ConferenceJune 21-23, Beckley, WV

A combined conference for the Eastern and SouthernRegions of the FFLA was held in Beckley, West Virginia, June21-23. Several individuals had arrived early for touring onFriday before meeting for dinner to close out that day.

The main conference session was held Saturday morningat the West Virginia Division of Forestry Region 2 office, with15 people present. Chairman Keith Argow, Eastern DeputyMark Haughwout, Southern Deputy Ron Stafford, SecretaryRay Grimes, Historian Bob Spear, and Kentucky Director DannyBlevins were present; New Jersey, Pennsylvania and WestVirginia memberships were also represented.

The first order of business was a round robin ofintroductions and how individuals got interested in fire towers.Region 2 Forester (and host) Tom Cover spoke about the firetowers in his region and gave a powerpoint presentation of thetowers that were inthe area, whichones are stil lstanding and whatcondition they were.Tom also spokeabout a tower thatwas transferredfrom state forestry tostate parks. It hasbeen rehabbed and some of the trees around the tower wereremoved to open the area for more visibility since the forestgrew up around it after it was last used. The tower will be goingon the cabin rental program after the final rehab tasks arefinished. This is the Thorny Mountain Fire Tower; Keith spenta night in it before coming to Beckley.

The second speaker was State Parks DistrictAdministrator Bob Beanblossom. Bob started out with stateforestry then moved over to the state parks. Bob spoke aboutthe history of the fire towers, their construction, and some ofthe fires that happened over the years. He also elaborated onthe Thorny Mountain project and putting the tower on the cabinrental program.

After the speakers there was discussion among the groupon fire towers in the east, getting more involvement in the east,and differences between the east and west as a whole. BobSpear gave a short talk about collecting all the information ontowers, cataloging it, and putting it on DVD.

After lunch the group visited two nearby towers, Huff Knoband Tams Mountain; touring continued on Sunday (see p. 4).

FFLA NEWSAnnual Board Meeting

The 2014 FFLA Board of Directors Meeting is planned tobe held Saturday, January 18. A physical location for themeeting has not yet been announced, but following the successof last January’s conference call, plans are to continue thatformat for those board members not able to attend in person.Watch for details in the next issue and on the FFLA website.

Nominations for 2014 ElectionThe Board of Directors will hold elections for three Officer

positions on January 18, 2014. The positions (two year terms)are: Chairman, Eastern Deputy Chair, and Treasurer.

The qualifications for these positions are to be an FFLAmember in good standing with the willingness to serve and beinvolved. Although only officers vote, any FFLA member maynominate any other member willing to serve.

As a reminder, per FFLA Bylaws, nominations must besent to the Elections Officer (Rob Hoeye - PO Box 132, HoodRiver, OR 97031, [email protected]) by three monthsprior to the January election. Nominations should include yourname, the candidate’s name, contact information, concurrence,and a short explanation of the candidate’s qualifications.

2014 Western ConferencePlanning is underway for the 2014 FFLA Western

Regional Conference. Tentative plans are to hold the event inthe Bitterroot Valley of Montana, June 27-29.

Liability Insurance Still NeededFFLA leadership is continuing to strike out in the search

for liability insurance. The basic needs are for liability insurancethat would cover board actions, meeting facilities, and site visits,with work projects either included or quoted separately. Ifanyone has leads on quotes for liability insurance for non-profitgroups, please contact Chairman Argow.

Newest FFLA Local ChapterThe goal of the Northwest Montana Chapter is to restore

and maintain historic lookouts in NorthwestMontana. NWMTC is currently involved withvolunteer lookout activities at Firefighter andBaptiste Lookouts on the Hungry HorseRanger District of the Flathead NF, but willsoon be creating a membership/donationprocess and designing a website. The groupmay be contacted at [email protected].

FFLA Local ChaptersFFLA local chapters, leaders, and parent chapters are:

Northwest Montana, Chuck Manning, North Idaho-MontanaMedicine Bow, Pat Lynch, WyomingBig Horn, Buddy Washington, WyomingSan Diego-Riverside, Curt Waite (acting), Southern CaliforniaTahoe Nat’l Forest, Larry Gruver, California - Sierra NevadaYosemite-High Sierra, Jeff May, California - Sierra NevadaSalmon River Mountains, Larry Kingsbury, Southern IdahoSouthern Cascades, Dick Morrison, Western WashingtonSouthern Kentucky, Michael Spanjer, KentuckyBeebe Hill, Bill Starr, New YorkPillsbury Mountain, Bob Eckler, New YorkWakely Mountain, Ann and Kevin McBride, New YorkColville, Rod Fosback, Eastern WashingtonKelly Butte, Bob Adler, Western Washington

Ed Seifert photo

FFLA group at Tams Mountain (Ed Seifert photo)


Early arrivals to Beckley on Fridaywent on preconference tours. ChairmanKeith Argow and Secretary Ray Grimestook the six-hour Cass Scenic RailroadState Park tour. The first stop on the trainride was at the Whittaker Station with therefurbished Gauley Mountain fire tower.

The tower has a nice camouflage paintjob; the desire was to have the tower notbe visible from a distance, thus thecamouflage design to blend in with thebackground. The other stop was at the topof the mountain near where the Bald Knobtower stands, but there was not enoughtime to make the mile hike up and back intime to catch the train back down the hill.

Historian Bob Spear, EasternDeputy Mark Haughwout and NJ memberEd Seifert headed for three locations ontheir Friday tour. After a mile-and-a-halfof four-wheel drive road, they got toLambert Knob (below left), where the toweris standing, but in poor condition. PilotKnob (below right) required a quarter-milewalk. The tower is standing in fair-to-goodcondition behind a security fence, and isused to hold electronic equipment. Theirattempt to get to Shawnee Mountain wasblocked by a gate and a mining operation.The two groups met for dinner to closeout the day.

West Virginia Tower TouringJune 21st - 23rd, Beckley, WV

After the Saturday morningconference session, the group went to two

nearby fire towers, Tams Mountain (above)and Huff Knob (below). Both are no longerin use but are in decent shape.

Five towers were on Sunday’s tourlist. A gate four miles away stopped thegroup from getting to Keeney Mountain,but from thevalley, they couldsee that the firetower issurrounded byan antenna farm.The next stopwas the SugarGrove tower(right), situatedbehind a churchin an overgrown

Ray Grimes photo

Bob Spear photos

field. The BrieryKnob tower (right)now stands behindthe Nettie FireDepartment in themiddle of town.Mikes Knob tower(below) is nowlocated on the topof the RichwoodFire Department.

This tower is a 14’x14’ USFS tower with acatwalk. The last stop of the day was theMann Mountain tower (below). The towerhas no floor; there was a stone wallaround it at one time, but the grasses havetaken over between the wall and tower.Meanwhile, Danny Blevins and some ofhis Kentucky contingent had gone to takethe Cass Scenic Railroad train ride.

Ron Stafford photo

Ron Stafford photo

Ed Seifert photo Ed Seifert photo

Ed Seifert photo

Bob Spear photo


Northwest Summer SocialJuly 19th - 21st, Pomeroy, WA

Over twenty FFLA membersgathered at the Tucannon Guard Stationfor the first FFLA Northwest SummerSocial. The July weekend get-togetherwas geared toward those northwestmembers unable to travel to New Mexicofor the Western Conference who stillwanted to continue to enjoy thecamaraderie developed over the pastseveral conferences, and drew membersfrom the four northwest chapters. Theevent was organized by Oregon DirectorHoward Verschoor (co-sponsored by theOregon and Eastern Washingtonchapters) and hosted by FFLA membersCharlie and Bev Heebner, who are thevolunteer hosts at the site. The historic1909 guard station, on the Umatilla NFsouth of Pomeroy, WA, has been restoredand serves as a hosted interpretive site/information center during the summerwhile on the cabin rental program theremainder of the year. The site, along theTucannon River, narrowly escaped the2005 School Fire, as evidenced by thesnag-covered hillside only a few hundredfeet from the cabin.

Several members arrived early andmade the relatively easy hike to OregonButte Lookout on Friday, while otherssimply pulled in to the guard station to setup camp and relax before dinner. Sometook the opportunity to go up the road tocheck out Camp Wooten EnvironmentalLearning Center, a former CCC camp.

The only schedule to meet duringthe relaxed weekend was for the Saturdaylookout tour. Almost everyone met at thePomeroy Ranger Station Saturdaymorning where they were met by DistrictRanger Monte Fujishin, Assistant ForestArchaeologist Jill Bassett, and District FireManagement Officer Chad Pickering andtransported to Clearwater Lookout.Everyone, including the renters of theadjacent ground cabin, had theopportunity to climb the 82-foot Aermotortower (above, center).

The next stop was at Big ButteLookout. The 82-foot treated timber towerwith its L-4 cab is still standing, despitehaving suffered a broken leg after a treefell across one of the guy wires late in2010 (see Vol. 22 No. 4 - Winter 2011).The upper section of the tower, above thebreak, is visibly twisted. With muchdiscussion, many opinions were offered,but unfortunately, all of the realistic optionsseemed to have a common theme ofcosting big money. Almost all of the ideasincluded the need for a crane to lift thecab off the tower, then the variations

included repairing the tower at its existingheight, removing the sections above thebreak and placing the cab on the shortertower, and removing the tower, clearingthe hilltop and leaving the cab at groundlevel. The forest is continuing to pursuestructural assessments and is looking atoptions.

After a lunch stop and a quick stopat the site of the Mount Misery CCC camp,it was a return to Pomeroy and back toTucannon to enjoy the rest of theafternoon. During the evening socializing,Howard Verschoor and Rod Fosbackpresented Bev and Charlie with mugs tocommemorate the occasion and thankthem for their efforts in hosting the social,including grocery shopping and cooking.

Sunday morning saw most taking aleisurely time in having breakfast, tearingdown camp and packing up, before sayingtheir goodbyes and heading out.

Brad Davies photo


Mount Beacon Fire Tower Grand ReopeningA Memorable Afternoon on High

A mountaintop fire tower offering sweeping 75-mile viewsof New York's scenic Hudson River Valley is open to the publicagain, following a 10-year restoration effort. The Mount Beaconfire tower, on top of South Beacon Mountain overlooking theHudson, was reopened to the public on Saturday, June 22.The tower stands 1650 feet above sea level, about 60 milesnorth of New York City, in the Hudson Highland region ofDutchess County.

Legendary folk singer and song writer Pete Seeger and60 other friends were on hand to celebrate. Seeger, 94 yearsold, and 82 year-old David Amram were two of the first guestsof the Fire Tower Committee to arrive at the summit and toclimb the tower. These two, along with Hudson Valley Storyteller,Jonathan Kruk, were the featured artists for the celebration.

With great sincerity, David Rocco stood on one of thegranite outcroppings surrounded by those who had contributedover the years, thanking each for their efforts. Jon Kruk thentold a tale of treasure from the Revolutionary Period buried onthe mountain and never found. David Amram followed with aLakota Chant accompanied by Jon on a drum. It was a very

special moment; all shared and contributed in silent tribute tothe ancient sounds and feelings David and Jon brought. Theceremony ended with Pete Seeger thanking all for theirdedication to this piece of our history, a piece which justhappens to be two miles from his house down through theforest. He then insisted that everyone join him in song as hespoke the words to "Amazing Grace". 1600 feet above theHudson Valley with an American legend conducting a crowd of60+ people on the grand re-opening day of the historic MountBeacon Fire Tower ... it just doesn’t get better than this!

David Rocco remembers the first time he saw the MountBeacon Fire Tower up close; it was loaded with turkey buzzards!

That didn't deter him, as he climbed the tower that day, withthe challenge of walking on the sides of the rotting steps, makingit to the top.

Dave soon took on another challenge: saving the tower.The Mount Beacon Fire Tower was in service through the endof the 1972 fire season and then briefly put back into service in1975 before being permanently decommissioned. The 60-footAermotor LS-40 tower stood abandoned until interest inpreserving and restoring it surfaced in September 2001 andNYSDEC Region 3 staff member George Profous followed upon informal requests; the Mount Beacon Fire Tower RestorationCommittee formed in 2003 to undertake an analysis of thepotential restoration. In 2005, the tower earned specialrecognition when it was placed on the National Historic LookoutRegister; in 2009 it again earned notable historic status withits listing on the State and National Registers for Historic Places.

In 2007, Rocco, aretired carpenter, becamethe project manager for thededicated group ofvolunteers, bringing hisenthusiasm andexperience from severalother historic preservationprojects. Money had beenraised by “selling” each ofthe 72 steps; two grantswere secured in 2005 and2006, and two more in2010, as well as numerouscommercial and personaldonations.

The tower’s footingswere repaired first; then thesteps, stair landings, andcab floor were replacedwith steel grates recycledfrom the old PoughkeepsieRailroad Bridge. Twelvesections of the cross-bracing on the tower werethen replaced in 2010.After a two year delay, in2012, volunteers and firetower contractor DavanaLLC changed theremaining 20 cross-bracesof the 32 needing to bereplaced. They alsoinstalled a new roof atopthe cab. Later thatsummer, committeemembers and the HudsonValley Four WheelersAssociation were assistedby members of the 1156th Engineering Company and the 204thEngineering Battalion of the NY Army National Guard whoadjusted hand rails to code height and installed supports forthe safety fencing. The engineers also primed and paintedsections of the tower during their two-week tour. Guardmembers and various other volunteers continued to make

Pete Seeger and Dave Rocco in the Mount Beacon Fire Tower

Left - Jon Kruk on drum, David Amram in centerRight - Pete Seeger leading crowd singing Amazing Grace

Mount Beacon Fire Towerbefore and after


NHLRRevamped Website!

New NHLR webmaster Brian Powell deserves kudos forthe new layout and fresh look he has given to the websites forthe National Historic Lookout Register (www.nhlr.org) and theFormer Fire Lookout Sites Register (www.firetower.org)!During the past quarter, nine additions have been made to theNHLR, including the first listings from Florida.NHLR #971 PA #14 Tamarack Fire LookoutNHLR #972 PA #15 Coffin Rock Fire TowerNHLR #973 MO #03 Mountain View Fire TowerNHLR #974 MO #04 Thomasville Fire TowerNHLR #975 IN #07 Winimac Fie TowerNHLR #976 FL #01 Olustee Fire TowerNHLR #977 FL #02 West Fire TowerNHLR #978 FL #03 East Fire TowerNHLR #979 FL #04 Benton Fire Tower

For details on how to nominate a lookout to the register, see:http://www.nationalforestry.net/NHLR_App.htm.

The NATIONAL HISTORIC LOOKOUT REGISTER is a project of the AmericanResources Group(R), 374 Maple Avenue East, Suite 310, Vienna, VA 22180,(703) 255-2700, www.american-resources.org

progress on the safety fencing, priming and painting throughoutthe early fall, including on national "Make a Difference Day."The NY State Army Guard resumed work on priming andpainting the tower this May and June, readying it for the grandreopening.

The Hudson Valley Four Wheelers played a major role inthe project, as they helped haul supplies up the treacherousmountain road. Dave Vana (Davana LLC) commented that ofall the fire tower restoration jobs he had done across the country,this particular project was the most challenging to reachbecause of the great difficulty moving vehicles up the mountainand over the large boulders which made the trail to the toweralmost impassable for all but the sturdiest and most flexible offour wheel drive vehicles and their skilled drivers.

In addition to the restoration, the committee is creatingan educational program on the fire tower, which will cover thehistory of the tower, Mount Beacon and its role in theRevolutionary War, the environment and more.

Squaw Mountain DedicationLookout now on USFS Rental SystemThanks to the efforts of a great many dedicated people,

Squaw Mountain Lookout, the highest functional fire lookout inthe United States at 11,486 feet, is now on the United StatesForest Service rental system. The dedication and ribbon-cuttingwere held at the tower on Friday, June 28, 2013.

Many deserve credit for the restoration of the tower andits placement on the rental system. Bill Gherardi of the ColoradoForestry Association recruited teams beginning in 1993 to makeemergency repairs. The director of the Colorado/Utah chapterof the FFLA, Sondra Kellogg, a former fire lookout and educator,took on the job in 2004, recruiting volunteers and organizingrepair workdays. Nicole Malandri, Recreation Fee Manager forthe Clear Creek division of the Forest Service worked to getthe lookout on the rental system, ensuring its long-termmaintenance and survival. Volunteers worked usually two dayseach summer for the last eight years. Kent Argow, currentColorado/Utah chapter director, took over from Sondra and hadthe happy task of cutting the ribbon, officially opening the

lookout for rental. (To right of Kent is Clear Creek CountyCommissioner, Tom Hayden, and Paul Cruz, U.S. ForestService recreation manager for the Arapaho and RooseveltNational Forests.)

Kent also had the good fortune to be the first over-nightvisitor. He wrote, "Wow what a night! So much lightning! ... Wewere downstairs and had a couple sparks and the breaker wasthrown on a single socket. Still felt very secure, that lightningsystem up there seems solid. Really cool evening!"

Built in 1940 by the Civilian Conservation Corps, replacingan earlier one from 1925, the lookout has a stone base, toppedby a 14’x14’ Rocky Mountain cab with catwalk. The base hasbeen fitted with a kitchen and bunks, and there are beds in thecab as well, so it can sleep four comfortably. It has electricityand heat, but no running water. Its outhouse is an INCINOLET,an electric toilet that burns human waste. It will be availableyear-around for rental. The summer trail head is one mile fromthe lookout on a dirt road; in winter, the nearest road is twomiles and 1000 feet in elevation away. The cost is $80 pernight plus $9 per reservation, and reservations may be madeonline at www.recreation.gov or by calling 877-444-6777.

Squaw Mountain Lookout is listed on the Colorado StateRegister of Historic Properties and on the National HistoricLookout Register. Susan Epstein

Squaw Mountain Lookout, June 28, 2013

NationalHistoric

LookoutRegister

Partners

in

Lookouts


Recommendation to Reject De-Listing PetitionAs the Federal Preservation Officer for the USDA Forest

Service, it was the responsibility of Mike Kaczor to considerthe petition to de-list Green Mountain Lookout from the NationalRegister of Historic Places and provide his recommendationsto the Keeper of the National Register of Historic Places andthe Washington State Historic Preservation Officer. Aftercarefully reviewing Will iam Lider's petition, Kaczorrecommended that the Green Mountain Lookout historicproperty as it exists today remain listed on the NRHP.

Kaczor noted that the actions taken to rehabilitate thelookout were necessary and compatible with the Secretary ofthe Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties(SOI Standards). The SOI Standards define rehabilitation as:The process of returning a property to a state of utility, throughrepair or alteration, which makes possible an efficientcontemporary use while preserving those portions and featuresof the property which are significant to its historic, architecturaland cultural values (36 CFR 67). He also noted that the overallactions taken to rehabilitate the structure are visually compatiblewith its historic form and function. While the addition offoundation support columns, beams, and hardware addedmassing to the building for stability, the overall balance of thecab structure to other architectural and setting elements arenot changed significantly.Green Mountain Bill Reported Out of Committee

The bills introduced into Congress by members of theWashington delegation allowing Green Mountain Lookout toremain in place have drawn some interesting support fromlawmakers who rarely agree on wilderness issues. At a Julyhearing on H.R. 908, Representative Rob Bishop (R-Utah),chairman of the House Natural Resources Subcommittee onPublic Lands and Environmental Regulation noted that the bill"brings joy to this old history teacher's heart." The bill has alsobeen endorsed by the Wilderness Society, a group that isfrequently at odds with Bishop over wilderness issues.Representative Raúl Grijalva (D-Ariz.), the subcommittee'sranking member, also sees no harm in protecting the building.Darrington Historical Society member Scott Morris joined thebill 's sponsors, Representative Suzan DelBene andRepresentative Rick Larson, both Democrats, in testifyingbefore the congressional committee in support of the GreenMountain Heritage Protection Act. The bill was reported out ofcommittee on July 31 and could be heard by the full House ofRepresentatives in September. Washington DemocraticSenators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell also are pursuingidentical legislation, S.404, in the Senate.

Proponents of keeping the lookout in place say Congressmust act quickly, since the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie NationalForest, in following the 2012 district court order, is movingforward with an environmental impact statement to usehelicopters to relocate the lookout to a nearby mountaintopoutside of the wilderness, Circle Peak, with a 2014 target date.Members of Congress are asking that plans to move the lookoutbe delayed. Rep. Suzan DelBene, Rep. Rick Larsen, and PeterDeFazio, the Ranking member of the House Natural ResourcesCommittee sent a letter to the chief of the Forest Servicedescribing their intent to pass legislation to protect the lookoutwhere it sits, and suggested that there were better things forthe budget-strapped Forest Service to do with $100,000. Thetext of that letter is as follows:

Green Mountain UpdateCongress of the United States

Washington, DC 20515

August 2, 2013Tom TidwellChiefUnited States Forest Service1400 Independence Avenue, SWWashington, D.C. 20250

Dear Chief Tidwell,In light of recent congressional action to prevent the

removal of the Green Mountain Lookout, we ask that youconsider delaying further plans to move the lookout from itshistoric home.

In 1933, the Green Mountain Lookout was constructedas a Civilian Conservation Corps project and was used to detectfires and to spot enemy aircraft in World War II. In 1988, thelookout was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.Starting in 2002, the US Forest Service (USFS) and the NationalPark Service (NPS) completed modifications to ensure thelookout's stability. USFS was then sued by an out-of-state groupalleging that USFS did not follow the NEPA review processwhen it restored the lookout, and a U.S. District Court judgeruled that USFS must remove the lookout from its currentlocation. We are grateful that in May, the Forest Serviceextended the scoping comment period an additional 30 days,however, the need for immediate action is great, because ifthe lookout is moved once, there's no moving it back.

Moving the lookout would be an unnecessary and costlyexpense, putting further financial burden on an agency alreadycontending with challenging budget constraints. With anestimated cost of over $100,000, moving the lookout is a pooruse of very limited public funds. Surely, there are more criticalneeds to the agency's central mission than moving GreenMountain Lookout from where it has been since 1933.

The Green Mountain Heritage Protection Act (H.R. 908)would allow the regular maintenance of Green MountainLookout and would prohibit the USFS from moving the lookoutunless it is necessary for preservation or to ensure the safetyof individuals nearby. On July 30, 2013, the Senate Environmentand Natural Resources Committee held a hearing to considerthe legislation during which Deputy Chief Leslie Weldon testifiedthat USFS supports the bill. In addition, on July 31, 2013, thebill passed unanimously out of the House Natural ResourcesCommittee and is expected to be considered by the full Houseof Representatives shortly.

Protection of this historic lookout has garnered supportfrom local government, numerous constituents, local advocacygroups, and even USFS itself. As Congress continues to moveforward with legislation to keep the Green Mountain lookout inits original home, we ask that you strongly consider delayingfurther action on moving the Green Mountain Lookout.

Sincerely,Suzan DelBeneMember of CongressRick LarsenMember of CongressPeter DeFazioRanking MemberHouse Natural Resources Committee


Two Lookouts BurnWithin a week’s time at the end of July, two more lookouts

were lost to fires in the Northwest.

McConnell Mountain LookoutR.I.P. 1922-2013

The McConnell Mountain Lookout complex of threehistoric structures burned in the California Point Fire in lateJuly. Like many fires in Idaho's Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness,this fire was being allowed to burn with limited suppressionactions taken, being managed for resource objectives. The logcabin and log outhouse dated to the 1920s, while the 6' x 6' log"observatory" was built by Bud Moore in the 1930s. Theobservatory, sittingon the peak, burnedfirst, followed by thecabin andouthouse, a shortdistance away.Bear MountainLookout reportedlysaw the scenedeveloping andrequested airsupport to save it,but by the time aSEAT (singleengine air tanker)was dispatched, itwas too late.

While it is sadto lose a lookout,some find itsomewhat fitt ingthat Bud was apioneer in theconcept of wilderness fire management and the mountain wasburned by unsuppressed wilderness fire; maybe that was agood way to go.

An interesting story is that one of the first things Bud didwhen he got back from his stint in the Forest Service'sWashington Office and became Director of Fire and Aviationfor the Northern Region, was to hike up there and check thecountry out. Just to reattach to his roots.

Sopelia LookoutR.I.P. 1959-2013

The abandoned Sopelia Lookout on the YakamaReservation, northeast of Goldendale, WA, burned during earlystages of the Mile Marker 28 Fire, apparently late on July 25.A relative latecomer, the R-6 flat cab on concrete pillars wasbuilt in 1959 as the first and only lookout structure on the site,replacing a nearby lookout. Sopelia had not been used for

many years;probably its greatest"claim to fame" wasthe multiple reportsof UFOs andu n e x p l a i n e dunderground noisesfrom differentlookout staffers inthe 1970s and1980s.

Davana ContinuesRe-use of Towers

David Vana(Davana LLC) continuesto restore and recyclesurplus fire towers,keeping them from thescrap pile. The 120-footStumpy Point tower wasremoved from its sitealong the North Carolinacoast several years agoby Harry Hudson andlater resold. The 62-footbase portion of thetower has been re-erected with a stick-builtcab on a private ranchin the northeasterncorner of Wyoming.Vana did the concretework last October andraised the tower inDecember. The heavy-duty deckwas bolted to the towerat a break point of thelegs near the 62-footmark, using only pre-existing holes in the legsfor the mounting. Thecatwalk frame andwrap-around deck areall framed with structuralaluminum alloy channelstock, saving about2000 pounds. The 16'x 16' cab with wrap-around floor-to-ceilingpicture windows wasbuilt on the ground andraised up by crane withall the siding, windows,doors, flooring, trim andtools on board,weighing about 8000pounds for the lift.

Entry to the cab isvia stairs through thecabin floor; french doorson one side open ontothe four-foot wide deck.

The top 58-feet ofthe original tower will begoing up at the owner'sother property innorthern Minnesotalater this year; a three-foot wide wrap around deck will be added to the observerscabin on top.

David also bought a 120-foot tower in Missouri this springthat is being restored for a client in southern Indiana.

Bud at McConnell Mountain


Fire Lookouts Get-togetherMoyston, Victoria, Australia 4th/5th May 2013

It was the Western Districts' turn toorganise this year's get-together and RonJardine (Mt. Arapiles) had a lot donebefore Rhonda (Mt. Clay) returned fromher Peru holiday. Moyston was selectedfor the accommodation and a lot of theregulars turned up the night before asusual. We met on Saturday at theHorsham Incident Control Centre andwere given a look-back at the 2012-13season by Russell Manning of DEPI(Department of Environment and PrimaryIndustries) - previously DSE (Departmentof Sustainability and Environment) - andCFA (Country Fire Authority)representative Dale Russell. There wasalso a guided tour around the facility andthat gave us an insight about whathappens once a fire is reported. The nextstop was Natimuk for lunch and from there

to Mt. Arapiles (above). The rocky outcropis very popular with rock climbers and thecabin has great views over the westernplains and the Little Desert NP. It hasmany aerials because of its elevatedlocation in flat country.

A long drive took us into theGrampians to Reids Lookout. There isstill a debate if it is Reids or ReedsLookout. Even official documentationfrom DEPI has both spellings in use. I'llstick with Reid (below) this time, that's thename on the cabin. Any view in the

Grampians is spectacular and this onedoesn't disappoint. The entry into thetower was different; a small ladder to aplatform and then through half a door intothe cabin. Randall was on site to tell ushis experiences. This tower must havethe most visitors of all towers due to itslocation. We were here in 2001 when theold wooden cabin was still here. All threetowers we visited this weekend are ofsimilar build but have different ways ofentering.

From here we went to Moyston tomeet the latecomers and we spent the restof the day socialising after a lovely dinner.Stories were told, photos exchanged, afew drinks consumed and the traditionalLicorice Allsorts were always available.It's great to catch up with your workmatesyou have a lot in common with but oftenonly meet on these occasions. Some ofthe 'retired' operators still attend and thatshows the bond that exits within the group.

After a healthy breakfast of baconand eggs, we made our lunches for lateron and then it was time for the AGM andGeneral meeting of the Fire Tower

Operators Association. Minutes of thismeeting will be distributed separately. Anew committee was chosen and we hopeto have a united front to tackle some ofthe issues that still exist, especially thefatigue management and theinconsistencies that still exist in thedifferent Districts.

Big Hill (below) was the last tower tovisit. This tower is in the middle of Stawelland there are very strong rumours that it

won't be around for very much longer.Apparently, a mining company has wonthe rights to mine the hill. The future ofthe tower is still unknown. Vern gave ushis stories, lunches were consumed andpeople went their own ways after this. Ithas been a great weekend (again) andwe hope to meet again next year whenwe will visit some remote towers in WestGippsland. Ray Lucas (Mt. Useful) hasoffered to be the host. The towersrepresented this year are: Mt. Hickey, Mt.Wombat, Mt. Clay, Annya, Strath, Mt. St.Leonard, Mt. Benambra, Mt. Sam, Mt.

Class of 2012-13 @ Mt. Arapiles Partners and Support people


Porndon, Ben Nevis, Mt. Buninyong,Cherry Tree Hill, Mt. Arapalis, Mt.Tarrengower, Reid Lookout, Mt. Useful (+relieving at The Pinnacles and Mt.Moornappa) and the relieving operator forPoley and McVeighs. Retired operatorsfrom Balrook, Mt. Buck, Mt. Macedon andBlue Mount also attended.

Report prepared and supplied byAndré Belterman

Victoria had a busy fire season; itstarted early in the west and we had threelarge campaign fires; Aberfeldy (WestGippsland), Grampians (Western Victoria)and the Harriet fires in the east. The towerseason was extended in the west due tolack of rainfall. Towers finished there inlate April.

On his way up to Moyston on Friday,André visited Mt. Lonarch (above) andDennis Christophers offered to take theones that were interested to his tower,Ben Nevis (below) on the way home onSunday.

I had spoken to Larry by cellphone call not long ago and he wasstill just as enthralled as ever about hisfire tower project he was seeking onLong Island. He never indicated to methat Eva had passed away in April, Idid not know this sadly, perhaps it wasjust too close to him to talk about it.

Larry was certainly one of my veryfondest friends whom I had knownsince my days with the NJ Forest FireService, long before going to work atSterling Forest in NY. He had attendedour 2nd FFLA meeting in Saddle River,NJ and many other events. Larry couldalways be counted on for help with firetower research, photos he had takenetc. Many of the "archive" photos ofNew York and New Jersey fire towersare from him of years of hiking thewoods.

He was indeed a great benefactorto the early formation of the Forest FireLookout Association; despite being aNew York State resident, he alsomaintained his dual membership withthe New Jersey Chapter for manyyears, just like Ranger Tim Sullivan ofNY had done. Larry's name was wellknown to many of the lower tier NewYork State Forest Rangers andSupervisory staff from Albany to NewPaltz. He also was active inestablishing the "Catskill Project" torestore the five fire towers there,presenting slide shows and earlyphotographs for that project.

Along with Tim Sullivan, LarryPaul was one of those giants ofConservation and for his dedicationand admiration of the natural world, theFire Services, and his beloved PineBarrens. To say he "will be missed"does not seem adequate, it's muchmore than that. A giant "wound" hasbeen opened with his passing - but trueto Larry's dedication he would not wantthis to hinder his love of what he wasable to accomplish. Like the naturalworld, Larry's memory will close thatwound and renew itself as he wouldwish it. Bob Spear Bob Spear Bob Spear Bob Spear Bob Spear

Historian FFLAHistorian FFLAHistorian FFLAHistorian FFLAHistorian FFLA

Larry Paul ...In Remembrance

FFLA Facebook UpdateThe FFLA Facebook page now has

over 400 fans who have signed in to “like”it! Just type “FFLA” into the Facebooksearch box. It is a great way to sharelookout, project, or event information,ideas or questions, or links to online itemsand sites, and may reach unaware non-FFLA members. If anyone not onFacebook would like to have somethingposted or make any other request onFacebook, contact the FFLA Facebookpage administrator [email protected].

The Oregon and Maine Chaptershave recently added facebook pages;check them by entering “Forest FireLookout Association Oregon Chapter” or“Forest Fire Lookout Association MaineChapter” in the Facebook search box.

The Cross ShotDo you have followup information,

corrections, or comments to a story inLOOKOUT NETWORK? “The CrossShot” was initiated just for that. Sendresponses to [email protected].

Huckleberry LookoutI was very interested in an article in

the last FFLA magazine. It was a storyabout the Huckleberry fire lookout. In1955 and1956 I was a fire guard on theGrand Teton National Forest and one ofmy jobs was to use a pack horse and myhorse to pack supplies to that lookout. Iwas surprised to learn from the article thatthe next year the lookout was mothballed.At any rate the article brought back manymemories. Jack Sargent

Devil's Head Fire LookoutThe article in the Summer 2013

edition of the Lookout Network on Devil'sHead Fire Lookout Restoration begins bysaying it is "... the only remaining firelookout in Colorado still in continuousseasonal use." I believe this to be in error.It is my understanding that Round Top andZenobia lookouts in Dinosaur NationalMonument have been in continuousseasonal use at least since the 1940s.Park Point in Mesa Verde National Parkhas been used seasonally since 1939 atleast on an as-needed basis. Devil'sHead, built in 1912, is surely the oldesttower in continuous seasonal use, and theonly Forest Service lookout stil l incontinuous seasonal use, but not the onlyone. If someone has knowledge to thecontrary, I would be interested in hearingabout it. Thanks! Susan Epstein, CO/UT [email protected]


Lookouts Protected and SavedWhile two lookouts were lost to

wildfires in 2013, many more werethreatened. Neither of the two lost werewrapped or appeared to have had otherprotection measures taken, but manyothers were protected by retardant dropsor shelter wrap. Stories and photos of afew follow; undoubtedly there wereseveral others receiving some degree ofprotection. We are not aware of any otherlookouts being lost to fires this year.

In mid July, the Papoose Fire madeseveral runs toward the historic StoddardLookout in the Frank Church River of No

Return Wilderness, but was not ableto burn to the top of the ridge. The opinionof the next-to-last staffer of the lookout(1971) is that going up in flames wouldbe a more dignified end for Stoddard thandecaying into a pile of rotten wood. Inrecent years, the Salmon-Challis NF hasnot wrapped their abandoned lookoutswhen threatened by wildfires.

Danskin Lookout (above), north ofMountain Home, was evacuated andretardant was used to protect the lookoutstructure when the Pony Fire burnedaround it.

The lightning-caused DamnationFire, in the Bob Marshall Wilderness, wasmanaged to allow it to play its natural role

in wilderness, while protecting values atrisk. One of those values was Mud LakeLookout (lower left), and it was certainlyat risk when the fire made a crown run upthe ridge toward it on August 17 andJumbo Lookout reported seeing theflames engulfing the lookout. Fortunately,wrapping and retardant saved the day forthe historic lookout.

On July 26, part of the West Fork FireCrew (Bitterroot NF) wrapped Hell's HalfLookout due to threat from the Gold Pan

Fire in the district's Idaho portion of theFrank Church River of No ReturnWilderness. Researching back throughhis journals and calendars, BitterrootLookout Coordinator Rene Eustace, withadditional input from Hell's Half's Markand Rhett Moak, found that the numberof times this lookout has been evacuatedand/or wrapped is impressive:No records are available prior to 1999:

1999: Evacuated due to threat fromthe Devil's Storm Fire but not wrapped.

2000: Evacuated and wrappedduring the historic Bitterroot NF wildfiresiege. Numerous fires threatened HH.

2004: Wrapped, staffed wrapped fora time, then evacuated due to threat fromthe Half Lunch Fire.

2005: Evacuated and wrapped dueto threat from the Hell's Half Acre CreekFire.

2008: Evacuated due to threat fromthe Hell's Half Saddle Fire but notwrapped.

2011: Evacuated and wrapped dueto threat from the Burn Creek Fire (SaddleComplex).

2012: Evacuated and wrapped dueto threat from the Packer Fire (part of theMustang Complex).

2013: Evacuated and wrapped dueto threat from the Gold Pan Fire.

This tallies to 8 evacuations and 6wraps in 15 years! Could this be a recordfor a single lookout?

On September 8, the lookout wasunwrapped by Rene Eustace, SkylarBrown (from the West Fork Fire Crew),

and 11 members of the Pennsylvania 7Crew assigned to the Gold Pan Complex.

On August 21, Bare Cone Lookouton the West Fork District was also

wrapped by the fire crew due to threatfrom the Gold Pan Complex.

Gardiner Peak Lookout (located onthe West Fork RD, Bitterroot NF butadministered by the Nez Perce NF) in theSelway-Bitterroot Wilderness waswrapped as a precautionary measure dueto threat from the Nez and Bad Luck Fireson August 14-15. This was the firstdeployment of the Region 1 structurewrapping crew; the joint Bitterroot/Clear-Nez crew helicoptered in from FennRanger Station. Personnel involved noted

USFS/Erin Doyle photo

Rene Eustace photo

Rene Eustace photo

Keith Hackbarth photo

Rene Eustace photo


done when they had to stop do to the wrapinterfering with the incidentcommunication repeaters. The followingday they encountered 40-50 mile per hourwinds, rain, and lightning. Since theIncident Management team had madegreat progress toward containing the fire,they decided that there was no need tocontinue the wrapping job.

Blue Mountain Lookout was notstaffed this summer while repairs andmaintenance were to be completed. Long-time lookout Gene Miller was given thesummer "off" for the first time in over 30years. The lookout was built in 1957 andoriginally located at Davis Point beforebeing relocated to Blue Mountain in 1966.The important fire detection asset has alsobeen popular with visitors.

Idaho and Montana were not the onlyplaces in the west with wrapped lookouts.In California, the long-running Butler Fire(Six Rivers NF) posed a threat to theOrleans Mountain Lookout (above right),resulting in it being wrapped in earlyAugust. Further south, the Duncan PeakLookout (Tahoe NF) was wrapped in mid-August as a precautionary measure whenthe American Fire approached it. A firingoperation was effective and by the end ofthe month, the lookout was unwrappedand back in service with the staffer whooriginally called in the smoke.

that lots of staples went into the milledlumber; each of those staple holes inmilled lumber can become a moistureconduit leading to rot. Preservationspecialists are recommending orderingpaint and cedar shingles to mitigate thedamage done in the process of wrapping.

The Region 1 structure wrappingcrew had more of a challenge with theirsecond assignment when the Lolo CreekComplex posed a threat to BlueMountain Lookout near Missoula. Theywere able to get some on-the-job trainingwith the climbing aspect of wrapping a 40-foot tower. The team was about a third

Skylar Brown photo



Star Trails Cover Photo

FFLA member Rod Schaeferexperimented with 90-minute timeexposures while staffing Poker JimLookout, south of Ashland, Montana. Rodset up a mini-mag flashlight with a yellowplastic filter over the lens on top of theOsborne, which produced the nice yellowglow out of the windows.

Across the country, in SouthCarolina, photographer Derek Thorntonis searching for the "perfect" tower to usewith star trail photos. His preference toget a great star trail photo is to shoot thetower at an angle while having the camerapointed to the North Star. However, sincemost towers are set with the sides squareto the cardinal directions, that would putthe camera looking straight at the tower.

The photo below is of the Tip TopTower in Laurens Co., SC.

Skylar Brown photo

Mary Williams photo

Derek Thornton photo


MAINENorway Bluff Fire Tower

DedicationOn June 18th, 2012, the Norway

Bluff Fire tower steel and cab arrived atthe Ashland Logging Museum in AshlandMaine. It had just been delivered by truckby the Maine National Guard's 1136thTransportation unit. From this point on,the tower became the responsibility of theMuseum. They paid $1 for it, delivered.That spring, they held a "Spring LoggingGames" event, received a $1,500 grantfrom the Maine Community Foundationand several donations that helped themon the way of restoring the tower. NelsonCraig did the rebar and concrete workbased on a design donated by RobertChase. In addition, Malcolm Milligan tookon the restoration of the cab and frameas his Eagle Scout project. They have nodoubt that without his involvement in thisproject that it would not have gotten donein the short amount of time that it did. Fivemonths after being lifted from NorwayBluff, the tower stood reassembled. JohnWeeks cut and installed windows.Malcolm and Troop #179 did the finishingwork inside the cab. A map, the originaltable glass and alidade were reinstalled.A cover was fashioned for the table byJohn Barker.

On July 7, 2013, the AshlandLogging Museum held a tower dedicationceremony - the finale of the Norway BluffFire Tower project - its dedication andhonoring Malcolm Milligan's Eagle Scoutachievement. Aside from the ceremonyitself, the tower was on display, as wellas an MFS Huey and Power Wagon, andother displays. Friends and ancestors ofpast Norway Bluff watchmen attended aswell. The FFLA Maine Chapter providedhistorical summaries of the Norway Blufftower, large copies of several 1920'smaps, and other related items. In the end,Malcolm was awarded his Eagle Scoutrank and the final ribbon was cut putting

Notes from All Overthe final conclusion to the project. Thetower will now stand at the museumdedicated to the men and women whoserved on this tower and the forests theywatched over. Bill Cobb &

MFS Ranger Amanda BarkerMaine Tidbits

The state is still considering aproposal from the Friends of WadleighMountain to restore and maintain theWadleigh Mountain Fire Tower.

The Natural Resource EducationCenter is still working on a revised planto erect the former Squaw Mountain (BigMoose Mountain) fire tower at the Route15 visitor center in Greenville. Previousplans have stalled due to liability issues.

The Forest Fire Lookout AssociationMaine Chapter Facebook Page is doingwell with over 500 fans in 5 months. Wehave collected countless new pieces ofinformation, photos, and possibly somenew membership in the upcoming months. Bill Cobb

MONTANAHolland Ridge gets a Makeover

Leif Haugen spent a hitch in July witha crew on the Holland Ridge lookoutcabin. The before and after photos tell thestory...

CALIFORNIAKlamath Lookout Workshop

The Klamath National Forest hostedan annual Fire Lookout Workshop May 22at the College of the Siskiyous in Weed.Many lookouts from the Klamath, SixRivers, Shasta-Trinity, and Modoc nationalforests attended. Hosted by the ForestService's Shawn Campbell and CalFire'sSuzy Brady, the presentations includedfire weather, radios, and safety. A“Lookout of the Year” was nominated bypeers, and the award went to NancyHood, of Lake Mountain Lookout on

Klamath NF. Nancy has worked as a firelookout for 55 fire seasons! A plaque waspresented by Klamath Forest SupervisorPatty Grantham. (How many fire lookoutsare there out there who have worked 50+seasons?) Renee Partee, Black FoxLookout, McCloud District, Shasta-TrinityNF, exhibited a lookout tower quilt of greatbeauty. Everyone had a wonderful timevisiting and telling stories around ayummy potluck lunch. Vickie Lamoureux

Ribbon cutting at the dedication(Amanda Barker photo)


NEW MEXICOMonjeau Lookout RepairsMonjeau Lookout was ready for

operation after the last of the fire-damagerepairs were completed in June with theinstallation of the new pedestal and tablefor the Osborne Firefinder. It looks great,thanks in large part to Mark Gutzman.

COLORADOHahns Peak Lookout Stabilized

Constructed in 1912 as one of thefirst two permanent lookouts in the RockyMountain Region, Hahn’s Peak Lookoutstands as a testament the early missionof the Forest Service. It required over aton of cement and building materials tobe packed up to the 10,759-foot peak.

The structure, damaged by lightning andextreme weather, was in severelydeteriorated condition and was unlikely tostand another winter unless immediateemergency stabilization was conductedon the building. The HistoriCorps team,in partnership with volunteers fromHistoric Routt County and USFS TrailCrew members, stabilized the structure byrealigning the cab to plumb the columns,bracing the four columns, and reinforcingthe floor.

NEW YORKNew York Fire Towers Aglow

Several New York fire towers wereplanned to be lit up on August 31 inremembrance of the "Watchers of theMountains". The idea started in theCatskills where the observation cabs ofthe six Catskill Preserve fire towers,Overlook, Mount Tremper, Hunter,Utsayantha, Balsam Lake, and Red Hill,were to be lit at 9:00 p.m. for 30 minutes

(Sunday, September 1 was to be thealternate raindate). Mohonk Tower on theShawangunk Ridge, visible from severalof the Catskill towers, was also to be lit,as was the newly-reconstructed tower atthe Ferncliff Forest in Rhinebeck. (Theprevious tower at Rhinebeck was not afire tower, but was built by the Army Corpof Engineers during World War II to serveas a strategic watch tower to provide earlywarning of attacks, particularly onPresident Roosevelt's home and planesthat could be headed to New York City.)

Elsewhere in the state, the recentlyreopened Mt. Beacon Fire Tower and theMount Ninham Fire Tower were also lit upto show that the “Watchers of theMountains” were not only in the Catskills,but also the Hudson Highlands and otherparts of the State.

In honor of Fred Lamb, the cab ofthe Berry Hill Fire Tower was lit at thesame time as the Catskill towers were tobe. Fred had been the leader of the groupmaking the renovations at Berry Hillbefore he passed away last year. Stormsbypassed Berry Hill, making for awonderful evening; Fred undoubtedlylooked down with a smile on his face.

IDAHOClarke Mountain TrashedExtensive damage has been done

to the historic Clarke Mountain Lookout(Clearwater NF). While the lookout wasnot in good condition, it had beenmentioned in recent years as a potentialfor restoration, but this senselessvandalism puts a serious damper on anysuch thoughts.

CCC 80th AnniversaryCCC Legacy Annual Gathering

2013 marks the 80th anniversary ofthe Civilian Conservation Corps. Manyof the nation's fire lookout towers wereconstructed by the CCCs, as well as amultitude of other forestry projectsnationwide. Please remember CCC

contributions by featuring them duringother events and help celebrate byattending the 2013 CCC LegacyGathering that will be held October 24-27 in Tucson, AZ. See http://cclegacy.org/ for registration and moreinformation.

CCC Interpretive CenterSince the first conversations began

between the James R. Wilkins family andthe Lee District of the George WashingtonNational Forest in the late 1990s, thedream of having a CCC InterpretiveCenter has been nudging forward. Co-located with the Lee District Office inEdinburg, Virginia, the building has beenfinished, the interpretive area prepared,and the time has come to finish thepermanent exhibits (including the firetower exhibit below) telling the CCC story.A September 15 preview in conjunctionwith the 80th Anniversary of the CCC wasa fitting way to begin the effort to sharethe story of the CCC in the James R.Wilkins, Sr. CCC Interpretive Center.

Berry Hill Fire Tower at Night(Warren Johnsen photo)

Fire Tower Exhibit construction: GeorgeWashington & Jefferson NF Forest SupervisorTom Speaks, and Project manager Andy Lane.


WASHINGTONEvergreen Work Party

FFLA members Tammy McLeod,Brad Davies and Bob Adler, along withfour others, hiked up to EvergreenMountain on August 24 and held a workparty to finish painting the exterior of thelookout. Western Washington DirectorForrest Clark set the group up withmaterials and member John Robinsonhad his Forest Service crew carry up thepaint and materials. They scraped andprimed and painted the shutters, which

were pretty bad. There is more work todo...windows need reglazing and paintand some shutters need repaired, but therental is being used and is in relativelygood condition for an 85-year old building.More pictures can be seen atw w w . n w h i k e r s . n e t / f o r u m s /viewtopic.php?p=895729#895729

Flagstaff Lookout DownRumored to be in the works for at

least two years, Flagstaff Lookout wasfinally removed in August. The cab waslowered off its 40-foot tower with a craneby Verizon contractors, to be relocated toNorthport. Plans are for a 150-foot celltower to be in its place by October.

Mebee Pass - Getting ThereJohn Scurlock and his Friends of

Mebee Pass Lookout have moved forwardwith their efforts to do a structuralrestoration on the L-5 Mebee PassLookout. After developing a plan, incooperation with the Methow ValleyRanger District, their first task was tofigure out how to get there!

The East Creek Trail off the NorthCascades Highway was the choice,however, the eight-mile long, 4,000-footelevation gain trail to Mebee Pass (a halfmile below the lookout) had beenabandoned years ago after the trailheadbridge across Granite Creek wasdestroyed when an assessmentdetermined the stringers were rotten. Twostringers remain though; the upstream logis fairly solid for a crawl, skooch, or walkacross.

On June 27, John and one of hisgroup began the access work with thecutting away of a log laying across theupstream stringer, taking that impedimentout of the picture. It turned the crossingfrom a very dangerous endeavor into anice reasonable log crossing, especiallyafter they installed a series of eyeboltsalong the log that could be used forcarabineers and handstraps or a securityrope, to assist in the crossing. Onceacross the creek, they cut their way upthe trail about a mile through stretches ofheavy blow-down timber with a chainsaw.

In July, work parties got serious witha herculean trail-clearing effort. On the5th, a crew of seven, with two chainsaws,cut their way about five miles up the trail.Methow Valley District Ranger Mike Liupreceded the group on the trail and with

a monumental effort made it up to thelookout on a trail made tortuous in that ithad not been cleared yet. His explorationsgave a good solid indication of what wasahead for the group. Subsequent workparties continued clearing the countlessdeadfalls and tangles from the trail, andon the weekend of the20th, the trail was officially declared cutopen! It is no understatement to say thatthe amount of energy expended on thisphase will far extend past the physicalenergy to be put out for the actual lookoutrestoration.

A 17-mile round-trip venture on July17 found the lookout in remarkably goodcondition. The group spent about two anda half hours on site, on the warm sunnyafternoon, making an initial assessmentof the lookout. The foundation under onecorner and side has failed; this is possiblythe most critical problem of the structure.

Replacing the roof will be another criticalfactor in the work, fortunately, the sub-roofin in good condition. Other problems toaddress include replacement of thebroken corner post, replacement of thelower wall boards (weathered to about halfor less of their original thickness),squaring up the building, installing a newdoor once the building is square, andreplacement of rotten studs and bracing.This was followed by a detailedexamination of the lookout structure onAugust 6-7, including surveying the sitefor helicopter landing options for flying-inof supplies for the planned Septemberrestoration work.

Photos of the efforts to date can befound at www.nwhikers.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=8006361 andwww.pbase.com/nolock/eastcreek.

Mt. Baker-SnoqualmieLookouts Website

The Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie NFwebsite has a lookouts page,w w w. f s . u s d a . g o v / d e t a i l / m b s /specialplaces/?cid=fsbdev7_001630,with links to individual pages for most ofthe forest's lookouts.

Left to right, Dave Adams, Doug McKeever,Dave Tucker, John Scurlock, RJ Van Liere.


Looking for signs of fire is all in a day’s workPosted by Donavan W. Albert Office of Communication, U.S. Forest Service

Bob Clark is a seasonal employee who spends the betterpart of his summer on a fire lookout in Northern California.Here’s how Clark describes a typical day on the tower:

At 5:00 a.m. the sun rises at theOrr Mountain Lookout on the KlamathNational Forest in Northern California,the way it has for nearly 80 years.Summertime means cooltemperatures at night, which rapidlyincrease as the day marches on. Aftermy morning coffee and breakfast, aninitial 360-degree scan is performedby walking around the lookout’scatwalk. The scan is performed witha naked eye at first, then withbinoculars to confirm the presence ofsmoke.

The previous day’s stormbrought more than 300 lightningstrikes. Any one of these lightningstrikes could ignite a new wildfire. Often times the effects fromstorms like these won’t be seen for two or three days. Treeroots might ignite first, allowing fire to slowly creep through thetree’s inner core up to the surface. Once smoke begins to paintthe sky, I can usually spot it 30 miles away on a clear day.

The new fire starts from last night’s storm and starts froma storm several nights ago can been seen from the platform atan elevation of 5,830 feet. Using visual, countryside landmarks,the smoke plumes are mapped and azimuths are recorded, anold-school way to geographically locate each smoke plume.

Azimuths are obtained using the Osborne Fire Finder.Radioing a neighboring lookout tower can help to triangulatethe smoke locations using each other’s azimuths. This methodof triangulating a fire that is 30 milesaway is accurate within 100 yards.

Lightning didn’t strike my towerlast night. But it has before on threeoccasions. This tower is wellgrounded so most of the energy getssafely diverted. When lightning doesget close, all electronics are shut off.And, in the center of the lookout, is achair with glass insulated legs clearof any metal objects. This is where I,walkie-talkie in hand, wait out thestorm. A large boom that shakes thetower and a blinding flash signals astrike hit the tower. Sometimesresidual static electricity dances fromwindow to window. Eventually all theenergy is absorbed by the lightningrods and is sent into the ground. Afterthe energy has dissipated, it’s safe tomove around and resume lookoutoperations.

It’s now 7:30 a.m. My morning fire report is transmitted todispatch at the Command Center in Yreka, Calif. My morningreport includes an estimate of each fire’s size, location andbehavior, as well as weather at the lookout. On a busy morning,I might transmit five or more new starts to dispatch.

Later on this morning I’ll assist inbound fire crews byadvising them on best access routes to the fires. Many firescan’t be seen from the ground.

At 8:00 a.m. weather at thelookout is observed and recorded.

At 10:00 a.m. I tune into thefire weather forecast and morningreport from dispatch. By now, trainsare usually starting rolling down thetracks well below the mountaintop.In rare circumstances these trainshave triggered new starts alongsidethe tracks. Another scan for smokeis performed after a train passes by.Sometimes there’s up to ten trainsa day.

Every ten minutes I keep awatchful eye on my area, includingthe fires I just reported and for anynew smoke. Looking for fire is a

constant observation process, scanning 360 degrees, and thenrepeating. During thunderstorms, the intensity and frequencyof my scans is increased.

At 11:00 a.m. a second weather observation is performedand recorded. At 1:00 p.m. I radio in the weather report for mylookout.

Solitude is part of the job, which is probably a good thingas I tend to sing better when I’m alone. Music from my solar-powered radio keeps me company. Visitors are few and farbetween. A hiker or a camper might show up today. If I do geta visitor, I show them what we do and educate them as to theimportance of stewardship in protecting our resources for futuregenerations. More likely, my visitors for today will be bear, bald

eagles, coyotes, deer, and squirrels.At 2:00 p.m. a third weather

observation is performed andrecorded.

At 4:15 p.m. I tune into theafternoon’s fire weather forecastfrom dispatch then, at 4:30 p.m., allthe lookouts in the area do a groupradio check to make sure everybodyis OK. The final weather observationis at 5:00 p.m.

Today’s shift ends at 6:00p.m. since there are no forecastedweather systems in the area. If therewere, I’d be working late until theweather passed. Working late isn’ta bad thing. On a clear night liketonight, the stars are bright, themoon is full, and it’s almost likedaylight. Plus, frequent meteorshowers will provide natural fireworkdisplays that keep me entertained.

At times it feels like a thankless job, perhaps because ofthe solitude. But I know I’m valued, and I enjoy serving as ournation’s first line of defense, protecting our treasuredlandscapes and wildlife habitat. That’s what I find mostrewarding.

An historic image of the Orr Mountain Lookout built in 1934 onthe Klamath National Forest. (U.S. Forest Service photo)

The Orr Mountain Lookout as it stands today. Working in the towercan bea lonely yet fulfilling summer job. (U.S. Forest Service photo)


Larry and Eva dedicated 32 yearsof their lives to volunteering with TheNature Conservancy, furthering theorganization’s mission, and simply doingwhat they loved most; protecting,preserving and enjoying nature. As truerole models, Larry and Eva exhibitedselflessness, wisdom and passion and asa result have touched the lives of many.They will be greatly missed but neverforgotten. Larry and Eva’s spirits willforever be together and their presencealways felt within the forests of LongIsland.

Linda DeEulisMay 15, 1947 - November 13, 2012

A celebration of the life of LindaDeEulis was held at her home at theSnowdon Wildlife Sanctuary east ofMcCall, Idaho on June 8. Linda, 65,passed away November 13, 2012 after along battle with cancer.

Linda was a fire lookout for fourteenyears in Central Idaho for the PayetteNational Forest and the Southern IdahoTimber Protective Association, includingseasons at East Mountain, Brundage, andArctic Point, and had been an early FFLAmember. She had been instrumental inthe efforts to save East Mountain Lookout,up until the time it burned in 2002.

Linda and her former husbandconverted 35 acres of isolated land nearMcCall into the Snowdon WildlifeSanctuary in 1989, a refuge for injuredand orphaned animals; a place to

Larry PaulJanuary 24, 1931 - June 3, 2013

Larry Paul, 82, passed away June3. Larry and his late wife Eva (who passedaway on April 26) had no children. Larrywas a retired New York State fire warden,fire tower historian and life member of theFFLA. He was also a long-time memberof the Central Pine Barrens Commission’sProtected Lands Council, an educator,park steward, environmentalist andNature Conservancy volunteer. He was afriendly, kind, helpful, hard-working,dedicated and gentle man who willinglydevoted his time, considerable talent andenergy to advancing environmentalpreservation, enforcement, environmentaleducation and cultural resource protectionin the Central Pine Barrens. Larry was afamiliar presence at the Pine BarrensDiscovery Day, Cooperators Meetings andcountless other events and willingly andtirelessly supported the Commission'smission. He was a friend to many and willbe sorely missed. The text from the PineBarrens Commission’s own award toLarry, given to him at the January 2012Annual Cooperator’s Meeting, says it all:Award of Merit - Presented with gratefulappreciation to Lawrence G. Paul inrecognition of your extraordinarydedication and professional contributionto the protection and stewardship of NewYork State’s Central Pine Barrens, as anoteworthy cartographer, devotedpreserve warden, committed volunteer,invaluable educator, and exceptionalhistorian of fire towers and wildfireprotection on Long Island.

Before the days of google maps andGPS, there was Larry Paul. When he firststarted as a volunteer cartographer forThe Nature Conservancy, he used acompass and a good old-fashioned walkin the woods to help depict the trails andlandscapes of TNC’s preserves. He’d thensit down at a drafting table and sketch outthe preserve’s distinguishing features,natural landmarks, trails and boundaries.He mapped some 40 preserves owned ormanaged by The Nature Conservancy –many of those maps are still used today.As time went on, Larry’s volunteer workfor The Nature Conservancy extended farbeyond the task of mapmaking. He tookon every type of outdoor job that cameup – clearing trails, leading preservewalks, surveying and marking preserveboundaries. He’s been a true asset to theConservancy’s stewardship team whosemembers maintain and manage the verylands that Larry has mapped.

In Memoriamrehabilitate wildlife and educate the publicin ways to live in harmony with animals.She also served as an environmentalinterpreter at Ponderosa State Park.

Linda developed a presentation forthe Idaho Humanities Council, "Life on aLookout: A Vanishing Lifestyle", that sheput on throughout the state. Thepresentation covered the history of firelookouts in central Idaho as well as detailsof the lifestyle and the type of people thatwere been drawn to it. She includedreadings from her journals of fourteenyears on lookouts and emphasizedIdaho’s unique place in forest fire history.

Phil RuffNovember 7, 1932 - September 7, 2013

Long-time FFLA member Philip“Phil” H. Ruff, 80, of Kellogg, Idaho,passed away September 7. After growingup in New York, Phil served in the AirForce during the Korean Conflict. Philmarried Cecelia Armstrong on July 24,1955; they spent six weeks on West ForkButte (Lolo NF) prior to Phil entering theForestry program at the University ofMontana in Missoula.

Phil spent thirty-five years as aForester, beginning his career as part ofa forest-wide timber survey and inventoryof Region One stretching from EasternWashington into the Dakotas. Phil cameto Avery, Idaho in 1969, heading thetimber program, but then moved into aResource Assistant role and moved to theWallace District of the Idaho PanhandleForests in 1975, where he added ShopSteward for the National Federation ofFederal Employees to his duties,becoming an advocate for employees,lobbying for their rights at home and inWashington D.C.

He also influenced the lives of manyother children through his life-long workwith the Boy Scouts. At the time of hisdeath, he was a District Commissioner forthe Inland Northwest Council of the BoyScouts of America. As a veteran, he alsobecame active in the American Legion,and in recent years, worked tirelessly toerect the Silver Valley Veteran’s WarMemorial, a monument to honor all ofAmerica’s veterans of foreign wars.

Phil retired from the Forest Servicein 1994, after having "done almosteverything that needed to be done" on aranger district, making him the ideal hostand interpretive guide for the replica L-4lookout erected on Kellogg Peak by theSilver Mountain Resort in 1997. He filledthis role for over ten years.

Larry and Eva being recognized in 2011 for 30years of volunteer service with The NatureConservancy


I was living in Clinton, ME (1967) andremember packing all my belongings andwaiting for my Ranger Supervisor to pickme up and travel all the way to Dauquam,Canada to stay in a cabin on the St. JohnRiver until it was time to go my tower. Meand other rangers had the duties of settingup the campgrounds and hooking up theold crank phones for the summer season.Then it was time to head to our towers.Once there, it was prep time and gettinga few lessons on the tower operations. Ittook a few days to get the log cabin andlookout tower ready for the season. Myonly transportation was a small boat tocross the lake to the dock which had apath that lead me to the road which wentto Clayton Lake and the Allagash River.District Ranger Dan Pratt from myhometown of Clinton also would pick meup at the roadside and off we would headto do inspections. That duty was only donewhen we had a major rain and we didn'thave to man our towers.

I had some interesting experiences,which started one day when I was walkingup the mountain trail to my tower. Abouthalf way up a large black bear was sittingon the trail blocking my path. I stood therefor a minute and then she got up andwalked ahead of me and once to the towersite she kept on going. The crazy thingwas that she did this for several morningslike she was escorting me to the tower. Ididn't see her anymore after that. I alsoexperienced some close calls with theLoring Air Force Base B-52's flying by mytower close enough to rattle the windowsand I tell you, I could see them smiling atme like saying, “was that close enough?”

Memories from my time onPriestly Mountain Lookout

I later found out my tower was a markingpoint for their practice missions, exciting!

I didn't have a lot of visitors otherthan relatives because I was so far backin the woods. I only recall one couple fromNew Jersey who hiked in for a short visitto the tower. I did have a rude awakeningone late night when two black bears cameup onto the cabin porch and began to fightwith each other until I got up and bangedsome pans together and scared them off.What a mess they left of my gear on theporch! My only access to food was tocatch it or call in an order by two-way andthen it was flown in by the Forest ServiceBeaver plane. I did get to ride the planeone day on a flight to Island Falls to get atooth pulled. This also gave me thechance to pick supplies at the rangerheadquarters there. The flight was greatas he flew me over Baxter State Park andMt. Katahdin.

One thing that kept me busy at thetower was that I was the local weatherreporting station for the area. Other towerswould call me with their rainfall andconditions and then I had to radio it toAugusta daily. One final thing, the troutfishing was out of this world - all nativeand big!! This is my little story of myexperience as a watchman for the MaineForest Service. Jim Sylvester, Skowhegan

Watchman Priestly Mountain, 1967

Priestly Lookout in the 1980sFranklin Sargent photo

MERCHANDISE FROMOUR PARTNERS

Buck Rock FoundationBuck Rock caps, t-shirts, pins, tote bags

www.buckrock.org/giftshop2.html

Merchandise from other partners at:www.firelookout.org/store.htm

Lookout movie still availableThe award-winning documentary,

The Lookout, is now available on iTunesfor $1.99 ($2.99 for HD) and on DVD for$20.00. The short documentary featuresthe FFLA’s Leif Haugen, and capturesboth his work as a lookout as well as thelife of quiet, contemplative solitude thataccompanies his job. iTunes: https://i tunes.apple.com/us/movie/ the-lookout/id576115029 DVD: https://www.facebook.com/TheLookoutMovie.

Osborne Fire Finder CaseA Mariposa, California, cabinetmaker is nowmaking transport and storage cases for theOsborne Fire Finder. FFLA member Jeff Mayreports that the cases are of excellent quality

and craftsmanship.Call for price: Martella Cabinet Company,David Martella, 1-866-966-3441 (toll-free) or209-617-5471 (cell).

Osborne Fire FinderFeatured on Belt Buckle

This limited edition, numbered, pewter 2011Smokey buckle from Dawn Fazio’sWoodland Enterprises includes thisinscription on the reverse: "The OsborneFire Finder was invented 100 years ago byWilliam Osborne, a Forest Service employeein Portland, Oregon. It has been serving inlookout towers nationwide since 1915."$23.50 plus shipping and handling fromwww.smokeybeargifts.com or call 208-882-4767. Dawn and Jim Fazio are long-time members of the FFLA.

http://westernheritagestore.com/(Navigate to USDA/USDI Store, “Agency”)

Lookout Items on ZazzleOregon FFLA member Elaine Broskie has awide variety of products featuring Oregonlookouts available on zazzle.com, includingposters, notecards, stamps,calendars, shirts,coffee mugs,e n v e l o p e s ,postcards, andmore. Elaine will donate profits from thelookout items to the FFLA. Visit her zazzlestore at www.zazzle.com/ebroskie1234/and navigate to “Fire Lookouts and occasionalguard station” . The Bald Butte Sunset imageabove is available on several products.


Lookout JewelryFiretower Dangle Jewelry

Lightweight, yet durable, these shining fire lookout earrings, necklaces, and labelpins are laser cut and

etched, plated in silver orgold, and are slightly curvedto better reflect the light from

different angles.• Earrings 1/2" by 1", $18.00• Necklaces 1-1/4” by 1/4"with 20 " chain, $18.00• Label Pins 1" by 1/4",$9.00• Shipping $2.00To order, email OregonChapter Director HowardVerschoor at [email protected]. Proceeds go to the Oregon Chapter forOregon lookout projects.

The previous chapter looked atobserver methods for communicating thedetection of wildfire before the use oftelephones.

This chapter looks atcommunications by telephone.Source: Forestry & Irrigation, June, 1905.Telephone for Dismal River Reserve

The Forest Service men in chargeof the planting and nursery work on theDismal River Forest Reserve, Nebraska,have taken advantage of the numerousbarb-wire fences of the region to install acomplete telephone system by stringinga few connecting wires, and mendingbreaks and putting in insulators whereneeded. They have connected theirheadquarters with ranches throughout thesurrounding country, and with small townsin the neighborhood. This not only givesthem social advantages, but enables themto order supplies or to receive promptinformation in case fires are discovered.Source: Forestry & Irrigation, September,1905. Telephone for Reserves

For the better protection of the forestreserves the Forest Service, in co-operation with the Weather Bureau, willinstall a system of telephone lines andstations on them as rapidly as possible.The first system will be installed on theBig Horn Forest Reserve, in Wyoming.This telephone service will enable theforest rangers to notify one another,without delay, when forest fires break out.Source: Forestry & Irrigation, October, 1906.Telephones and the Forest Reserve

In the first case the telephone willserve the same uses as it does in the bigagricultural stretches of the West, where

A North American History of Forest Fire DetectionBy C. Rod BaconChapter XXXII

COMMUNICATIONSit has been a potent factor in relieving therancher and his family from the terriblenervous strain of an enforced isolation. Ithas even been claimed that insanity hasdecreased among form women since thetelephone has come into rural use.

But it is in cases of emergency in theforest that the telephone becomes theinstrument of salvation; and no greateremergency is likely to arise than thatengendered by the most serious menaceto the forest and to forest life - fire.

The use of telephones on forestreserves is not a suppositional nor amerely contingent matter. They havebeen tried and roved by time, andalthough the Government has notelephone service of its own in operation,there is one under construction in the BigHorn Forest Reserve in Wyoming, wherethe first line will be 109 miles long,connecting the rangers' cabins in thereserve with the Supervisor'sheadquarters at Big Horn.

The construction of still anothertelephone system was authorized underthe Government, providing for five milesof Government telephone lines on thePikes Peak Forest Reserve in Colorado.

The comparatively low cost of suchlines, owing to the presence of poles onthe ground, and even the use of standingtrees, is one of the things which willcontribute to their extension.Supplementing the proposed Governmenttelephone lines are a number of privatelines constructed under permit from theForester, who grants a right of way acrossa forest reserve only on condition that theforest officers shall be allowed free use

Lookout Lightning ProtectionMontana FFLA memberMike Kuefler is a certifiedlightning protectionspecialist; KueflerLightning Protection, Inc.h a sb e e n

used by the ForestService for severallookout projects. KLP isbased in St. Ignatius,Montana, but also hasoffices in Florida, Georgiaand Minnesota. Visit their website,www.kuefler-lightning.com/, [email protected], orphone 406-745-3800.

of the line for official business.Wherever possible the line should be

carried within a reasonable distance ofhigh places in the reserve, which may bemade to serve as lookout points fromwhich the smoke from any fire may bequickly detected.Source: American Forestry, February, 1910.The Telephone: a Protector against ForestFires

Maine has introduced the moderntelephone into her forests, together witha system of forest patrols and look-outs.A watchman is stationed at the top of amountain or high point of land in thedistrict assigned to him and where usuallya single line is run to the nearesttelephone office. At the top of themountain a telephone enclosed in an ironcase is used, a case of this metal beingnecessary, due to the fact that ledges androcks are usually found there which wouldmake the erection of a small building toenclose a wooden telephone expensiveif not impossible.

A watchman, continually on the alert,and using field glasses, is able to view formiles in all directions, and on discoveringsmoke or fire, telephones immediately tothe telephone office, where lines radiatein every direction.

In addition to the watchman or look-out, men are employed to patrol theforests, usually carrying a very efficientportable telephone of light weight. Thelatter may be readily attached to lineswhich are to-day found in nearly all partsof the forests of northern and centralMaine and which run to various camps orexchanges in villages

the quarterly publication of the forest fire...

Documents