NATURAL AREAS AND REGIONS 



165 



The caribou' (Rangifer montanus and 

 related forms) originally occupied suita- 

 ble areas, including the barren summits 

 and more sparsely wooded elevated 

 sections, and excepting the humid coast 

 region, practically over the entir% 

 Province. Excessive pursuit has practi- 

 cally extirpated it from most of its range 

 in the southern half of the Province, 

 but it remains in numbers in most of 

 the country drained by the Stikine and 

 Peace rivers, and northward. A few 

 still persist, apparently, on Graham 

 Island, the largest of the Queen Char- 

 lotte group, which furnishes a number of 

 examples of mammalian distribution 

 which are difficult to understand. 



The mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) 

 confined to the dry interior forests, has 

 extended its range northward several 

 hundred miles during recent years, being 

 now frequently seen in the Skeena and 

 Peace River, and occasionally in the 

 upper Stikine valleys. 



The mountain goat is found in suitable 

 places practically all over British Colum- 

 bia, barring the islands, on which, ex- 

 cepting Pitt Island, it was never known. 



The coyote (Canis lestes) originally 

 found only in the southern part of the 

 Province, has pushed northward through 

 the central valleys nearly to the north- 

 ern boundary within the past 25 years. 



IV. AREAS AVAILABLE FOR BIOLOGICAL 

 STUDY 



A. PROVINCIAL FORESTS (P. Z. C.) 



The officials of both the Dominion 

 and Provincial Forest Branches en- 

 courage proper use of the forest and are 

 always prepared to give advice on how 

 best to reach any locality, equipment 

 necessary, etc., to anyone entering any 

 region. Definite boundaries have not 

 been established for the forests. 



*Coast Forest South. Area 23,000,000 

 acres. A region of mountain and forest 

 intersected by deep sheltered fjords. 

 Game is plentiful in woods. 



Vancouver, } C.N.R., G.N.R. 



Headquarters, District Forester. 



Victoria t (80 mi. south west) C.P.R. 



* Provincial Headquarters. Forest Ser- 

 vice, Auto service to most points Van- 

 couver Island, south, Nanaimo J 40 

 mi. west C.P.R. 



Supervisor, Nanaimo, headquarters 

 for Vancouver Island. 



*North Coast. Area 22,000,000 acres. 

 Interesting region of coniferous forests, 

 mountains and inlets. Here Sitka 

 spruce reaches its best development. 



Prince Rupert, { C.N.R., U.S.S. Co. 



Headquarters, District Forester. 



Gasoline launches available to visit 

 many interesting spots or for more 

 extended cruises along the Coast. 



*East Kootenay Area. Area 7,500,000 

 acres. Embraces southern end of main 

 Rocky Mountains and Rocky Moun- 

 tain Trench. Altitude 3000 to 9000 ft. 

 Vegetation zone changes from Dry Belt 

 types to Alpine type as we ascend the 

 mountains. Western larch attains its 

 best development here. 



Cranbrook, J C.P.R. 



Headquarters, District Forester. 



Outfits may be obtained at Cranbrook 

 for visiting any section of district. 



*West Kootenay Area. Area 7,950,000 

 acres. A region of lakes and mountains. 

 Very interesting since it embraces 

 changes from Dry to Wet Belt vegeta- 

 tion. Lakes abound in fish and forest 

 in game. 



Nelson, } C.P.R, & G.N.R. 



Headquarters, District Forester. 



*0kanagan. Area 6,000,000 acres. 

 The typical Dry Belt region. 



Vernon, J C.P.R. 



Headquarters, District Forester. 



Penticton, C.P.R., K.V.R., Princeton, 

 t K.V.R., G.N.R., Merrit, J C.P.R. 



* Thompson Region. The area em- 

 braces northern border of Dry Belt 

 and the western slope of Gold Range. 



Kamloops, t C.P.R., C.N.R. 



Headquarters, Dominion Forest 

 Branch for British Columbia, and 

 District Forester. 



*Big Bend. Central part of Rocky 

 Mountain Trench and Selkirk Moun- 

 tains, a region of rigid mountains and 

 steep wooded slopes and especially 

 noted for its bear hunting. 



