A Drive in City Park, Winnipeg. 



Six portable sawmills having a capacity 

 of from 4 to 12 M feet per day were re- 

 ported to be operating during the winter 

 in the region known as the 'heavy green 

 timber. ' In order to effect rapid clearings 

 settlers would sometimes hire a sawmill 

 and pay the owner $4 to $5 per M to saw 

 their logs. Lumber sold for about $15 

 per M. 



Grazing was a minor industry. No large 

 herds were reported to be in the mountains, 

 though a majority of the older settlers 

 at that time possessed a few head of 

 cattle. 



It was reported that many of the set- 

 tlers found it difficult to make a living. 

 It was found impossible to subsist entirely 

 on what could be gleaned from wood cut- 

 ting and small garden patches. Nearly all 

 settlers are reported to have spent from 4 

 to 6 months at some other employment out- 

 side of the mountains. 



The dearth of good hay meadows 

 through the heavily timbered region made 

 it difficult to winter stock. The hay rais- 

 ed was an inferior quality. 



In discussing the practicability of set- 

 ting aside a Forest Reserve in the moun- 

 tains, the report states: 



'There are not enough vacant lands ly- 

 ing contiguous in the region that would be 

 suitable for reserve purposes.' Only about 



one-twenty-fourth of the area between 

 Ranges 70 to 77 West, north of Township 

 160 North, was vacant. Nearly all of the 

 unentered lands were found in the foot- 

 hills where timber had never grown to any 

 appreciable extent. 



The report concludes with a recommen- 

 dation that a certain described area be 

 established as a Forest Reserve, provided 

 an exchange of lands could be effected with 

 the settlers owning the lands within the 

 area suitable for Forest Reserve pur- 

 poses. 



From this review of the report it will be 

 observed that an area (approximately 

 560,000 acres) embracing the Turtle Moun- 

 tains might well have been include<l with- 

 in a National Forest except for the heavy 

 percentage of alienated land within the 

 region and the impracticability of attempt- 

 ing to solidify the government lands of 

 the area. 



TWO CONSERVATIONISTS. 



* Nothing lost here but the squeal, ' de- 

 clared the pork packer. * Are you as econ- 

 omical in conducting your business?' 



' Just about, ' answered the visitor. * I 'm 

 in the lumber business. We waste nothing 

 but the bark.' 



90 



