DEPARTMENT OE LANDS AND FORESTS FOR 1947 81 



DI\ ISION OF FOREST PROTECTION 



FiKic AM) Hazard Conditions 



The lire season was. on the whole, a fairK- moderate one. The number of 

 hres was abo\e the average, but the area burned over was relatively small. The 

 warm weather at the end of March created a fairh- high hazard in the eastern 

 part of the Province for a short period, but in general the weather was favourable 

 during April and May. There was a high hazard in the western part of the Pro- 

 \ince during the first part of June and in the Sudbury and Parry Sound Districts 

 during the latter part of July and first part of August, but apart from a short 

 period of high hazard in the early part of October in the same two districts, 

 there were no acute or prolonged hazards in the latter part of the summer. 



Legislation 



An Act to amend The Forest P'ires Prevention Act (Bill No. 98) was passed 

 at the 1946 session of the Legislature and became law on June 5. 1946. The more 

 important changes are: 



1. The office of Pro\incial Forester is abolished. 



2. Proxision made to enter into agreements with municipalities for pre\ention 

 and control of fires. 



3. Pro\ision for the entire cost of extinguishing fires confined to Crown Land 

 to be borne l)y the Department. 



4. ( )nus of proof placed upon permittee where fire originates in an area in which 

 summer operations are being carried on. 



5. Section 24 requiring employees of operators to wear badges was repealed. 



An Order-in-Council re\ising the Regulations under The l-'orest Fires 

 Pre\ention Act was passed on July 4th, 1946. This made some changes in the 

 general regulations and in the boundaries of the fire districts and tra\el permit 

 areas. 



Due to hazardous tire conditions, eight areas in Cochrane District were 

 closed to tra\el for ten days in the first part of August and a section of the 

 Mississagi Road in Sault Ste. Marie District was closed to traxel from August o 

 tf) September 13. 



The number of prosecutions for breaches of the Forest Fires Prexention 

 Act was seventeen, all but three of which resulted in comictions. 



Ok(. ANIZ A I ION 



On December 1, 1946 Mr. C. R. Mills resigned as Chief of the Di\ision of 

 I'orest Protection and was replaced b>- Mr. T. E. Mackey. who was formerK' 

 Regional Forester at North Bav. 



