Report of the Department of Lands and Forests for 1950 No. 3 



DIVISION OF LAW 



The following is a report of the activities of this Division for the period from 

 April 1, 1948, to March 31, 1949. The primary duties of the Division are as indicated 

 in the Administrative Chart. 



Amendments were made to ten (10) Acts governing the administration of the 

 Department as follows: 



By amendment to The Crown Timber Act the ^Minister is empowered to enter 

 into timber concession agreements with respect to the salvaging of damaged timber, 

 and the procedure with respect to the sale of timber seized for arrears of accounts 

 due the Crown was simplified. 



By an amendment to The Cullers Act the Minister is empowered to authorize 

 a Manual of Scaling Instructions respecting the measurement of Crown timber. 



The Forest Fires Prevention Act was amended with respect to the destruction 

 of refuse on land being cleared; to allow the requisition of privately-owned equipment 

 for use in fire-fighting; and to make the reporting of a fire obligatory upon any 

 person coming upon a fire. 



An amendment to The Forest Management Act allows the ^linister to make 

 orders governing timber concession areas for the purpose of forest management. 



There were several amendments to The Game and Fisheries Act for the general 

 purpose of improving administration and promoting conservation. The penalties with 

 respect to the illegal killing of deer and moose were substantially increased. 



By an amendment to The Lakes and Rivers Improvement Act the Minister is 

 authorized to order the repair or reconstruction of privately-owned dams, and if 

 necessary to expropriate the works and the adjacent land. The section with respect 

 to the pollution of waters by refuse and effluent, which previously applied to sawmills 

 only, was enlarged to apply henceforth to all mills in which logs or woodbolts are 

 processed. 



Amendments were made to The Mills Licensing Act for the purpose of bringing 

 the legislation into line with administration. 



By an amendment to The Public Lands Act the Minister may release land 

 from the reservation of pine trees contained in letters patent issued after the 30th 

 of April, 1880, and may compensate a timber licensee who is affected by such 

 release. The section of the Act concerning the disposition of water powers was 

 repealed and re-enacted in The Water Powers Regulation Act. 



By an amendment to The Water Powers Regulation Act the Minister is em- 

 powered to fix the terms and conditions upon which water powers and the adjacent 

 land necessary therefor are sold or leased. 



By provisions in The Wolf and Bear Bounty Act the bounty on wolf cubs 

 is increased to $15 and the Minister may make regulations concerning the keeping of 

 wolves and bear in captivity. 



Various field trips were made by the Chief of the Division during the year for 

 the purpose of prosecuting certain cases under The Game and Fisheries Act; with 

 respect to hearings by the Surveyor-General under The Surveys Act: and for round- 

 table discussions with enforcement officers which, started the previous year, were 

 continued in some districts. 



Lectures at the Ranger School were given to various classes concerning the 

 Statutes. Regulations and enforcement matters. 



Due to increased responsibilities in the Division, the services of an additional 

 Solicitor were obtained. 



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