PLACER COUNTY
HOWELL HILL
California Department of Forestry
December 8, 1927: "State Forester, M.B. Pratt of Sacramento was the principal speaker at the weekly luncheon of the Auburn Lions Club held at the Freeman Hotel yesterday.
Mr. Pratt spoke of the great resources of Placer County that are wrapped up in the forests of the county. According to Forester Pratt, Placer County has a large area of second growth pine that is second to none in the country.
He spoke of an offer made by the State of California to the Board of Supervisors of Placer County, by which the state agreed to construct a lookout tower and maintain a man at the station if the county would pay the cost of the material needed in the construction. This station was to be located on a hill close to Colfax and would give a lookout observation of vast timber lands in Placer County that are unobserved at the present time. The Placer County Supervisors refused to cooperate with the state in the construction of the tower. In commenting on the action, Forester Pratt stated that the Supervisors of this county are not fully awake to the possibilities of the forests of this county. He went on to state that Placer County has not her share in cooperating with the state in the protection of the vast area of forests in the county.
George Long-Hurst was the chairman of the meeting." (The Journal-Republican)
Mr. Pratt spoke of the great resources of Placer County that are wrapped up in the forests of the county. According to Forester Pratt, Placer County has a large area of second growth pine that is second to none in the country.
He spoke of an offer made by the State of California to the Board of Supervisors of Placer County, by which the state agreed to construct a lookout tower and maintain a man at the station if the county would pay the cost of the material needed in the construction. This station was to be located on a hill close to Colfax and would give a lookout observation of vast timber lands in Placer County that are unobserved at the present time. The Placer County Supervisors refused to cooperate with the state in the construction of the tower. In commenting on the action, Forester Pratt stated that the Supervisors of this county are not fully awake to the possibilities of the forests of this county. He went on to state that Placer County has not her share in cooperating with the state in the protection of the vast area of forests in the county.
George Long-Hurst was the chairman of the meeting." (The Journal-Republican)
January 19, 1928: "At the special meeting of the Placer County Board of Supervisors held on Monday a resolution was passed answering the attack made on the Board by State Forester M.B. Pratt for not cooperating with the erection of a fire lookout near Colfax. The resolution follows:
Recent articles appearing in the press, report an address made by Mr. M.B. Pratt, State Forester at a service club in Auburn, quoting him as severely criticizing the action of the Board of Supervisors of Placer County.
Owing to the invariable co-operation extended by this county to Mr. Pratt's department in the past such as furnishing transportation, food, etc. for the fire fighters and meeting demands made upon us by Fire Warden Watts and which have been carried out by us for several years satisfactorily to him.
It was with surprise and astonishment that the board read of Mr. Pratt's attack upon us. That state official appeared before this board at the December meeting, requesting the sum of one thousand dollars from the county, for the construction of a Glass House near Colfax as a lookout station to be used during the fire hazard season. In reply to our question no assurance was forthcoming from Mr. Pratt that he had available funds to properly maintain such a station during the time in which it might be used, in fact he intimated that there was some doubt on this point. We have proof that our forest areas east and south of Colfax are already well guarded by look-out stations, placed in locations determined by state and federal forest authorities as covering all sections of forest lands within that area of this county.
In justice to the tax payers, this Board could not consistently allot such an amount for the purpose asked by Mr. Pratt. The only area insufficiently covered is that section of western Placer lying eastwardly of Roseville, Lincoln and Sheridan up to about the thousand foot contour of the lower foothills.
This district embraces out largest tax producing area and has received no protection from the state forestry or federal departments. It is the area where hazard is the greatest and where in case of fire there would be the largest losses. Mr. Pratt's criticism of the action of this Board, publicly made was without basis of truth and shows a woeful ignorance of a supervisor's duty. Had he examined the records of Placer County he could have easily learned of the sums which had yearly been granted for co-operation with his department. In his rancor at our refusal to contribute the people's money to his useless and folderol plans, he let his speech run away with any judgment which he may have possessed.
While we are especially desirous of co-operating in any way with any regional, state or federal officials or organizations, such co-operation must be based upon actual requirements, and with due regard for the interests of Placer County tax payers. Mr. Pratt's outburst showed a weakness and a lack of knowledge of the situation. His public statements before an organization, followed by press reports, reflects unjustly on this Board. While the record shows our past desire to do everything possible to cooperate, we must refuse to treat further with the forestry board if Mr. Pratt's attitude is their way of doing business, as this Board of Supervisors are not working under the plan of 'give me the tax-payers money or I'll bawl ye out.' Board of Supervisors, Placer County." (The Journal-Republican)
August 22, 1929: "Alvin Frost, state fire Warden was the principal speaker at the weekly meeting of the Newcastle Lions Club held in the Community Hall last Thursday.
Mr. Frost urged the service clubs to assist the state department in keeping the forest fires in California at the minimum. He stated that the State Department had been given little support by the Placer County Board of Supervisors in their effort to curb the loss by forest fires in this county.
Several months ago a representative of the State Department of Forestry met with the Placer County Board of Supervisors and asked them to construct a fire lookout station below Colfax. By the plans the county would construct the lookout at a cost of about $1,000 and the state would maintain men constantly in the lookout. The Supervisors would not agree to this plan and as a result a large part of Placer County is now without observation by a fire lookout." (The Journal-Republican)
March 29, 1930: "State Forester M. B. Pratt has announced that work will start immediately on a Forest Fire lookout station to be erected on McDonald Hill, near Colfax.
These stations are located throughout California in a plan of cooperation between the state and Boards of Supervisors of the different counties." (The Placer Herald)
May 29, 1930: "The dedication of the Mt. Howell Lookout Station, on McDonald ranch near Landers Station, will take place next Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m., under the joint auspices of the Lions Club of Auburn and Colfax. S. Guy Lukens, Auburn Fire Chief will be in charge of the affair for the local den of Lions.
The Lookout Station was erected under the supervision of District Ranger Al Frost, for the State Division of Forestry, and is a project that has been on their program for a number of years.
Public spirited citizens of Colfax and Auburn, the Lions Clubs of Auburn and Colfax, and many others living in the districts which will be served by the tower donated time and money in the construction of the road leading to the station. Supervisor Geisendorfer loaned some county equipment to help in the construction of the road.
The tower will serve as a lookout station for the district not now covered from the Banner Lookout station in Nevada County and the Robertson Flat ranger station in this county. Mt. Howell, is 2635 feet high and the tower stands 60 feet, with a glass cage, 7 feet by 7 feet. It is steel and one of the finest now in state service. Mt. Howell itself is the one peak in the territory it serves that is far superior to any other.
Fire Warden J.E. Watts of Colfax, was extremely active in the work of raising money to build the road and thus make it possible for the state to have local co-operation to the extent where they would erect the tower. Ed Hinchey of Colfax who will be the man in charge of the lookout station after June 1st was also very active in working upon the road, while the telephone Company rendered valuable assistance." (The Journal-Republican)
November 13, 1930: "The State forestry department, through Alvin Frost, district ranger, announces that Landers Lookout station will be closed on the fifteenth of this month for the winter. All of the short term men will be released at that time, except a few who will carry on with project work.
According to Mr. Frost, the Landers lookout station has been an invaluable aid the past season in fire prevention work. Many more fires burned this year than ever before, but they were observed much more quickly and as a result less acreage was burned over in the territory within the radius of the tower, than has been recorded in recent years." (The Journal-Republican)