sportsmen, naturalists, conservationists and professions and industries concerned 

 with aspects of Lands and Forests administration. 



News of more than normal urgency is given immediate public notice by 

 spot press releases which go directly to important news outlets. 



Correspondence 



The Section answers requests for information on such subjects as hunting 

 and fishing regulations, camping facilities, tourist accommodation, summer cot- 

 tage properties, and the purchase and planting of forest tree seedlings; many of 

 these requests come from the United States. In addition, students and teachers 

 at schools and universities apply for information of a scientific nature. Visitors 

 at the larger fairs and exhibitions apply for printed material at Lands and Forests 

 information centres. 



During the fiscal year, the Section returned 30,000 answers by mail, an in- 

 crease of 800 over the previous year. This total does not include the numerous 

 requests for information answered in person and over the telephone. 



Photographs 



The Section operates a darkroom and a photograph library which contains 

 approximately 18,000 black-and-white 8" x 10" photographs, 3,000 colour 

 (35mm) transparencies, 200 ektachrome (4" x 5") transparencies, and a stock 

 of half-tone and line cuts used in Lands and Forests publications. The library 

 provides sets of transparencies for use in lectures on fish species and tree species 

 and 175-piece sets of black-and-white prints for identification of trees and shrubs. 



During the fiscal year, the library loaned approximately 9,000 black-and- 

 white prints to newspapers and magazines, 900 transparencies to lecturers and 

 text book publishers, and 100 cuts to publishers. 



Appeals 



Special appeals are prepared by the Section for news media to enlist public 

 support of Department programmes, principally in the fields of forest fire pre- 

 vention and hunter safety. 



During the past year, the Section placed 52 administrative advertisements 

 in 35 newspapers to call for tenders on timber cutting, etc. 



Articles 



The concentration of conservation messages is increased by special services 

 performed for outside agencies. Articles are written on request for newspapers 

 and magazines when the subject is related to some aspect of Lands and Forests 

 operations; illustrative photographs are usually supplied to attract reader interest. 

 Background material is supplied on request to outside writers and commentators. 



Department personnel are often invited to address meetings of sports clubs, 

 conservation groups and service organizations. The material for a number of 

 these addresses is prepared by Section staff. 



Library 



The Section's reference library contains copies of all Lands and Forests 

 literature and a variety of books, periodicals and press clippings; it includes early 

 reports and legislative journals dating from 1856. 



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