FOREST RANGER

[Music] [Applause] Throughout our land where grow the great spreads of trees which make up our national forests are found the men we know as forest rangers. This is the story of forest ranger Ned Millard. The story of every forest ranger everywhere. They live much like other men. Family men in comfortable modern homes where wellprepared meals await their coming in when work is done. Where children are and where family ties and pleasant surroundings make for constant satisfaction in one of the most difficult and important jobs of public service to be found anywhere. The work of guarding the great forests on which so much depends in the life and progress of a great nation. Forest should be known to him. Drip began. Ranger Millard took care of other important responsibilities. In his radio equipped pickup, he drove up to the big dam nearby to visit with the superintendent to know all was well at that important point. In the huge reservoir back of the dam is irrigation water for hundreds of thousands of acres of land far down in the valley. That water is Ned's responsibility. Lumbering, grazing for cattle and sheep, wild game, recreation, all these are important products of the forest. But water is the lifeblood of America. And forests standing on the wheds protect the flow of that water. So rangers protect the forests. From the dam, Ranger Millard drove out to the big cattle herd in the next valley. He had to be sure there were not more cattle there than should be, for if land is overg grazed, there is no grass left to help hold back water when the rains begin. Unchecked water running off bare land means disastrous floods. So grazing supervision is also a part of Ned's job. From the cattle herd, he drove to a section of the forest where a logging company had purchased mature trees and men were cutting and hauling them out for lumber. In the national forests, logging operations are carefully controlled. Generally, only mature trees may be harvested, and the forest ranger must mark each one before it is cut by companymen. A forest ranger loves the big trees among which he works. But trees are like any other crop. Once they reach an age of complete maturity, they should be harvested. If this is not done, they begin to deteriorate and to lose some of their value and beauty. So, the forest ranger carefully selects the ones to be cut, knowing they have filled the purpose of their growth, and now must move out so other trees can develop as fully as these selected ones have done. Expertly Ned the shelter of the cut he has made. He numbers the [Music] in sharp crisp sentences. And by this time, the fire is no longer a tiny column of smoke. Ned knows from the tone of his assistant's voice that trouble is brewing and he quickly wonders where and how it got started. Is the report phoned in by the lookout spotting the smoke? Immediately he moves to the map to pinpoint the danger area. Now a different lookout station is called. [Applause] It doesn't take him long to spot the fire from his angle. It looks bad already, he says into the phone. And with a third lookout report, the fire is pinpointed exactly near Eagle's Nest in a fine stand of timber. And by this time, the havoc and destruction was well begun. Dead knows this one requires action. That means the smoke jumpers from up at McCall station. They reach the fire in a few minutes by plane. But help on the ground will take 2 or 3 hours. And the fire doesn't wait. The woods are like tinder. While the jumpers are suiting up, Ned still talks into the radio. The jumpers will do what they can until ground help arrives. Build trenches, fire brakes, cut burning snags. And of course, the car crews will arrive as soon as possible. And destruction is on. And destruction already has a long head start. though is the whole heartbreaking scene. And from just one man's carelessness, the jumpers are dropped as near to the fire as is judged safe by the crew spotter. But always the men must land far enough away so there is no danger of their being cornered by the flames. Once on the ground, they will find one another, then go to the fire in a group, fighting it together. When they finally reach the edge of the blaze, they lose no time. The immediate job is to keep the fire from spreading. They pitch in. When Ned arrives, he hastily surveys the situation, then radios back a report. The jumpers did a good job. Fire partly contained to the south, but still burning out of control to the northeast. Send more help and plenty of sandwiches and coffee. And the battle for control is heading into high gear. Gradually, the line of fire breaks and trenches lengthen and at last completely surround the fire. A pump is set up in a nearby creek. When finally the go-ahad signal is given, water under high pressure is added to the fighting force inside the burning area. The hours roll on. Now and then a man stops to straighten his back and catch a fresh breath. He wipes his face, then digs in again. There is no letup. It is 24 hours before any of the men get rest. As the fire gradually dies out, Ned and his chief survey the smoking ruins. Hundreds of acres of trees gone up in smoke, a forest ruined for years to come. and all because of carelessness. The forest ranger's work is done, but tomorrow he will need the cooperation of everyone who enters his for [Laughter] [Music] I'm going back where I came from I like being a tree. [Music] [Applause] I like seeing the birds and bears. and the deer and all this wonderful forest. Guess they've got to cut some of us. [Music] [Applause] [Applause] Take us to the mill. Saw us up to make boards. But they got to plant new ones so they'll grow up to make more boards. Those little ones are growing up nice and straight. These are almost as big as the old ones now. Let's go, son. Guess I'll just have to get used to being aboard. [Applause] [Music] [Applause] What? Let's see what's wrong. [Applause] [Music] [Applause] Nothing left, only smoke and ashes. [Music]