Public Camp Manual

After a definite plan for the improvement of the camp has been made, reduction of the fire hazard should be the next step taken.

Cleaning up should consist of clearing grounds of the larger inflammable material and undesirable brush. Never clear camp grounds of pine needles and small litter by surface burning, as the charred material and ash left by the fire spoil the ground for camping. A good layer of needles should be left undisturbed, while the larger material should be piled and burned. Cover should not be removed to mineral soil. The humus and duff on the forest floor are invaluable in protecting the feeding root hairs, in preserving soil moisture and in preventing packing of the soil about the trees. The deterioration of many camp grounds can be traced directly to over-zealous cleaning up. A four-tined fork is far preferable to a rake for piling and removing camp ground litter.

In clearing the area of undergrowth, extreme care should be exercised. Remove any such material as constitutes a real fire hazard, or such as interferes with proper development of the area. As much undergrowth as possible should be left to serve as screening material, to provide a degree of privacy for the individual camp sites, to shield the toilets, etc. Development plans should be so prepared as to preserve as many trees as possible, even at the sacrifice of an occasional potential camp site. Pruning of trees should be avoided, except where absolutely necessary, and when done should be accomplished with a saw rather than an axe. Remove the stubs to the shoulder, to prevent decay which might eventually destroy the tree and to facilitate rapid healing of the scar. In general, the smaller trees should be left in clumps or groups, rather than as individuals.

All coniferous trees cut down and all insect-infested trees felled should be burned or the bark peeled and burned to prevent spread of infection. The remainder should be used in construction of barriers, seats, etc., or left for firewood.

On a number of camps where the timber is mainly aspen and lodgepole pine, many of the trees have been killed by open fires built close to the trees. The proper location of stoves and community fireplaces will tend to eliminate this problem. Campers also damage some locations by digging for angle worms. This should not be allowed in any public camp.

When the camp is surrounded by an area of high fire hazard, a fire line should be constructed to surround it completely. The width of the fire line will vary with local conditions, which are best known by the local staff. A cleared fire line serves the additional purpose of providing a safe place in which to burn refuse from the cleaning operations.

In all regions of high fire hazard, and at camps where it is desired to confine the campers within certain restricted areas, the limits of the area should be definitely marked with Campground Limit signs.

Camp Improvement by Planting The Planting of trees and shrubs pays dividends in a few years, by providing shade and making an area attractive.

Planting.

On camps where shade is lacking, trees and shrubs should be planted in order to improve camping conditions. To date, little planting has been done. Hereafter, it should be a regular part of camp improvement, development and maintenance. In making planting plans, consider the following points:

1. On all camps where planting is undertaken, native trees and shrubs must be used. By "Native" is meant those local species which do well under conditions similar to those of the planting site.

2. Plants should never be moved from one set of conditions to sites which embody a more difficult condition. For example, it is sometimes possible to transplant from higher elevations to sites much lower, but plants moved from valleys to higher sites, where conditions are much more severe, seldom survive.

3. Nursery stock may be used in camp planting, when available. These plants are usually balled or potted and can therefore be moved with relatively little shock to their root systems. However, these plants are grown under relatively favorable conditions and their survival may be more questionable than where local trees and shrubs are transplanted.

4. When local plants are being transplanted, great care must be exercised in the operation. As a protection to the roots, plants should be balled or wrapped in burlap before being moved.

5. Certain hardwood trees and some shrubs may be transplanted "bare root" in the winter, after the leaves are dropped. The list varies with the locality.

6. Transplants must be protected against rodents, animals, and people, and should be watered throughout the dry season until they become established.

7. In spite of our best efforts, many of the plants set out will die, necessitating replanting to fill the gaps.

8. Should it be desired to transform an area devoid of trees to a grove suitable for camping, it would be advisable to plant trees fairly thickly, without much thought as to future development of the area. When the trees have reached a size which warrants it, the camp plan may be made. In the meantime, some of the trees will have died. By waiting a few years, it will be possible to fit the plan to the actual conditions, as to road layouts, camp sites, etc. This is preferable to planning in advance, which calls for planting in certain spots, because with this latter method replanting must be resorted to in order to effect the vegetative cover as planned.

9. Do not plant trees in rows. Try, rather, to secure a natural grouping.

Planting on camp grounds is in the experimental stage. We are justified in trying various methods, species, seasons of planting, and types of protection.

Mr. C. J. Kraebel, of the California Forest Experiment Station, has prepared lists of plants suitable for planting in various sections of the state, and should be consulted in connection with any extensive program of camp planting.

For additional information regarding planting, refer to:

Farmers' Bulletin #1591 - Transplanting Trees and Shrubs, by F. L. Mulford.

American Tree Association - Tree Planting Book.

Tuomey & Korstian - Seeding and planting in the Practice of Forestry, Chapter 18.

A Deteriorated Public Camp Unrestricted travel has destroyed all shrubbery and reproduction in the camping area.