St. Maurice Valley Forest Protective Association 



The most hopeful step taken for many years in Canada. 



One of the most significant gather- 

 ings ever held in ^[ontreal was the 

 annual meeting of the St. ^Maurice 

 Forest Protective Association held at 

 the Place Viger Hotel on February 

 14. This organization, which is just 

 one year old, marks the beginning of 

 a new era in forest protection. Hith- 

 erto the matter of protecting the for- 

 ests has been one between the indi- 

 vidual limit holder and the govern- 

 ment. In this field the advantages 

 of co-operation are very great, but un- 

 til the formation of the St. Maurice 

 Association every lumberman battled 

 with the fires on his own limits as best 



he could. A year ago the limit hold- 

 ers in' this valley seeing the waste and 

 inefficiency of individual effort got 

 together and formed an association. 

 They appointed a general manager 

 who took charge of all the fire rangers 

 and directed them as one army, post- 

 ing every man where he could be of 

 the greatest advantage. The Associa- 

 tion which controls an area one hun- 

 dred and sixty miles long wdth an 

 average width of one hundred miles, 

 embracing in all seven million acres, 

 taxed itself one quaretr of a cent per 

 acre, and to the $17,500 thus raised 

 th(^ government of Quebec added $3,- 



r^ONTRB f\L. 



Map showing location of St. Maurice Valley, Quebec. 

 36 



