He Likes Rain

The unusual drought conditions which prevailed throughout the East this summer, creating the threat of large forest fires, brought a familiar responsibility to Arthur S. Hopkins '08. As Director of the Division of Lands and Forests of New York State's Conservation Department since 1948, he has been in charge of inter-state forest fire protection in an area that embraces New York State and New England. Al- though he retires from the position of director this month, he will continue as executive secretary of the Northeast- ern Forest Fire Protection Commission.

This commission, which was formed after disastrous forest fires swept Bar Harbor and other areas in 1947, has become a model mutual-aid system for preventing and controlling the outbreak of large conflagrations. Mr. Hopkins in fighting forest fires has used military strategy. He established an intelligence section to locate fires; a group to evaluate manpower; another to plan and organize; and one to make surveys and to standardize equipment.

Before the commission was formed, a serious bottle-neck in cooperation between states was the variety of equipment: a Rhode Island hose rushed to a fire area in Vermont would not fit a Vermont nozzle. Last summer proved that the commission's training and preparation were effective, as fires which broke out in Maine and New Hampshire were quickly brought under control and other fires were prevented.

Mr. Hopkins has worked for the State of New York as a forester since 1914. He acted as Assistant Director of Lands and Forests from 1927 until 1948, and is the author of numerous articles relating to forestry.