cals would enhance our control capabilities. Studies are to 

 continue in 1969. 



PRESCRIBED BURNING 



Some 4,515 acres were burned by 28 prescribed fires, 

 mainly for purposes of preparing sites for silvicultural treat- 

 ment and reducing slash hazard situations. 



GENERAL 



The following publications were printed during 1968: 

 Sferics, Radar, Thunder Report, Lightning Storm Tracking 

 System. 



A Report on the Infra-Red Forest Fire Detection and 

 Mapping System. 



An Analysis of 1967 Detection Evaluation and Improve- 

 ment Programs in Kenora and Fort Frances Districts. 

 Kenora Detection Program 1968. 



Under the national mutual-aid arrangement, two teams 

 of fire supervisors were dispatched and saw action in 

 Alberta during their May fire emergency situation. 



A Swastika District crew were again the winners of the 

 Provincial Nozzle Crew Competition. The competition, 

 which involves all fire crews through a series of playdowns, 

 serves to maintain a high level of preparedness and esprit 

 de corps within the basic fire organization. 



PLANNING 



in 1968, a new Planning Unit was set up under the Protec- 

 tion Section of the Branch. The Unit will be responsible for 

 the development of long-range provincial forest fire con- 

 trol plans and will provide technical guidance in planning 

 at the Regional and District levels. 



FOREST PEST CONTROL 



SURVEYS 



The insect presenting the greatest threat to Ontario's forests 

 is the spruce budworm, and the new outbreaks, which were 

 reported in 1967, continued in 1968. The area of greatest 

 concern, west and south of the Shebandowan Lakes in Port 

 Arthur Forest District, developed as predicted in late 1967 

 to an area of about 275,000 acres. Because of the well- 

 defined nature of this infestation and the high forest values 

 at stake, it was sprayed in 1968 (see section on Control). 

 The objective in spraying was to completely eliminate the 

 infestation, and while the project was generally successful, 

 a dangerous residual population of budworm remained in 

 a core area of almost 35,000 acres. This area will be studied 

 closely for possible further control operations in 1969. A 

 small infestation of long-standing in the French Lake area 



of Fort Frances Forest District was also sprayed, and it too 

 still has a potentially dangerous residual population. Apart 

 from the French Lake area and the Shebandowan-Burchell 

 Lake area, the budworm was not a problem in northwestern 

 Ontario. 



However, the spruce budworm was quite active in many 

 areas in other parts of the Province. In northeastern On- 

 tario, the insect was especially noticeable northeast of the 

 Town of Chapleau, along the Chapleau-Kapuskasing District 



On the fire line, communications are by radio. 



