Pennsylvania Act 1913-432 — SUPPLEMENTING ACT, FIRE WARDENS

Act text

SUPPLEMENTING ACT, FIRE WARDENS
                 Act of Jul. 22, 1913, P.L. 906, No. 432              Cl. 32
                               A SUPPLEMENT

     To an act, entitled "An act to create a system of fire-wardens
        to preserve the forests of the Commonwealth, by preventing
        and suppressing forest fires, and prescribing penalties for
        the violation thereof; providing for the compensation of the
        fire-wardens and those who assist in extinguishing fire, and
        making an appropriation therefor," approved the thirteenth
        day of May, one thousand nine hundred and nine; conferring
        authority upon the Department of Forestry to enter into
        cooperative relations with local associations established for
        the purpose of preventing forest fires, and providing for and
        regulating a local fire patrol and the compensation thereof.

        Compiler's Note:  Section 302(h) of Act 18 of 1995, which
            created the Department of Conservation and Natural
            Resources and renamed the Department of Environmental
            Resources as the Department of Environmental Protection,
            provided that the Department of Conservation and Natural
            Resources shall exercise the powers and duties conferred
            upon the Department of Forestry by Act 432 of 1913.

        Whereas, The question of forest fires and their suppression
     has become a serious problem within this Commonwealth, the
     losses therefrom amounting to large sums of money each year,
     which losses ought to be prevented by adequate legislative
     authority and assistance; and
        Whereas, Local associations for the prevention and
     suppression of forest fires have been established in different
     parts of the Commonwealth, composed of owners of land with
     timber growing thereon, whose lands are every year subjected to
     the menace of forest fires; and
        Whereas, It is desirable that the Department of Forestry co-
     operate with such associations, and render assistance to them in
     accomplishing to the best advantage the work which they are
     established to do; therefore,--
        Section 1.  Be it enacted, &c., That the Department of
     Forestry is hereby authorized to enter into co-operative
     agreements with local forest fire associations, within this
     Commonwealth, for the prevention and suppression of forest
     fires; and is hereby authorized to expend, from its general
     forest fire appropriation, for this purpose, a sum of money
     equal in amount to the amount which shall be expended by each
     local association for the employment of proper persons to patrol
     such lands during those danger seasons of the year known as the
     forest fire seasons, and for such period of time each season as,
     in the judgment of the local association and the department, it
     is necessary or expedient to maintain such regular patrol; and
     under such terms and conditions made with such local
     associations as, in the judgment of said department, will
     produce the best and most satisfactory results in the prevention
     and suppression of forest fires: Provided, That such expenditure
     by the department shall not exceed thirty dollars per month for
     each patrolman.
        Section 2.  Every such local forest fire protection
     association shall render to the Department of Forestry, at the
     end of each calendar year, a report showing the number of acres
     of land comprised within the activities of the association, and
     an itemized statement of all receipts and expenditures during
     the year for which the report is rendered. And in case no
     appropriation shall be made by the Legislature for forest fire
     and protective work at any future time, all such co-operative
     agreements, subsisting at that time, shall be construed as being
     suspended during such interval for which no appropriation is
     made. Said local association shall also report any general
     results of the work that the Commissioner of Forestry may
     desire.
        Section 3.  The fire seasons hereinabove mentioned shall not
     be construed, by reason of the act to which this act is a
     supplement, as being limited to the periods of time stated in
     the eighteenth section thereof.
        Section 4.  When any group of land owners desire to organize
     themselves into a mutual forest fire protective association they
     shall promptly notify the Commissioner of Forestry of their
     intent, if it be the desire of such land owners to avail
     themselves of the benefits of this act.