18 



On the other hand, the forest lands of Canada are predominantly 

 Crown lands, and are, therefore, for the most part, the property of 

 the people of the country-. It follows that the public interest, from 

 a long-time viewpoint, should govern in determining the conditions 

 under which exploitation should take place. With the present incre ased 

 stumpage values many things in the direction of better management 

 are now becoming economically feasible which would have been out 

 of the question in years past. 



Notwithstanding war conditions, remarkable progress toward 

 better forest conservation has been made during the past year. 

 Mention of these developments may serve to accentuate the respects 

 in which action is still most urgently required. 



Nova Scotia 



Provincial ^ conference, under the auspices of the Canadian 



Forester Forestry Association, was held at Halifax in Decem- 



Required ^^q^^ last. The necessity of appointing a Provincial 



Forester was emphasized by the severe fire losses in Nova Scotia in 

 1918. This appointment was authorized in 1913, and it is hoped 

 that, by a co-operative arrangement with the Agricultural College 

 at Truro, and a small contribution by the lumber interests, it will 

 be made. Improvements in the administration of the fire laws were 

 suggested. 



As nearly all the forest lands in the province are in private 

 ownership, it is highly desirable that an educative compaign be 

 carried on, urging forest fire prevention. In addition to this campaign, 

 the Provincial Forester, by co-operating with the Dominion Railway 

 Commission, could render very valuable assistance in preventing 

 fires along railway lines in the province. 



New Brunswick 



The most important development has been the enactment 

 of legislation respecting forestry and forest fires. The Provincial 

 Forester is now charged with forest protection, forest surveys, land 

 classification, enforcement of cutting regulations, scaling timber 

 and enforcement of fish and game laws, thus giving him more compre- 

 hensive powers than any other forestry official in Canada. 



The adoption of the merit system of appointment 

 in Forest Service ^^ ^^^ Forest Service, under civil service restrictions^ 

 ensures the high degree of efficiency that the Com- 

 mission of Conservation has steadily advocated since its inception. 



The timber sales policy with reference to limited areas of timber 

 has been adopted. This system is also in operation in British 



