In British Columbia. 



Work of Surveys and Fire Protection Going Forward. 

 By H. R, MacMillaUy Chief Forester. 



Surveys. 



When the Forest Branch was started 

 one of the chief pieces of work was a 

 forest survey of the Province which would 

 show the quantity of merchantable timber 

 in the Province; would establish the 

 boundaries of the land convenient for 

 other purposes, which should be set aside 

 as permanent Forest Reserves and which 

 would serve to bring to light information 

 regarding the resources of the Province 

 which would be valuable for administra- 

 tive purposes. Last year about 6,000,000 

 acres were covered by forest survey part- 

 ies. This year work will be carried out 

 by the District Forester and P"'orest Assist- 

 ant in the different Districts as time per- 

 mits; and in addition the following parties 

 are being sent out to make an examination 

 of Districts considering which information 

 is required. 



P. S. Bonney, a Canadian graduate of 

 the University of Washington Forest 

 School, is accompanying an exploration 

 party to the Naas River valley north of 

 Prince Rupert. Mr. Bonney will be out 

 until the end of the year, and by covering 

 thoroughly 1,500 or 2,000 square miles in 

 this valley, will bring to light important 

 information regarding the Forest Re- 

 sources of this section of the Province, 

 concerning which at present but little is 

 known. 



A. K. Shives of Toronto Forest School, 

 has left with a party to do similar work 

 in the valley of the Bella Coola River and 

 eastwanl along the 53d Meridian. This 

 District is reported to be timbero<l with 

 the spruce and jack pine forest similar to 

 that of Quebec and Ontario; and a spruce 

 and lodgepole pine forest similar to that 

 on the eastern slope of the Rockies. 



E. G. McDougall has charge of a survey 

 party covering the District between the 

 "'Cariboo road and the North Thompson 

 River from the railway belt north to the 

 52nd Parallel. Mr. McDougall accompan- 

 ied an exploration survey party sent out 

 by the Surveyor-General. 



Mr. D. Clark of Toronto Forest School, 

 will make an examination cruise of the 

 timber tributary to the Canadian Northern 

 Railway from Tete Jaune Cache south to 

 the Blue River, a distance of 140 miles; 

 from the Blue River south to the railway 

 belt will be examined and cruised by H. 

 G. Murray, a graduate of the Forest School 



of the University of New Brunswick. 

 Last year the timber tributary to the 

 Grand Trunk Pacific was cruised in order 

 that such bodies of timber as were suf- 

 ficiently valuable might be reserved from 

 settlement. Where timber of nierchant.ab'e 

 value is located on agricultural land with- 

 in easy access from the railway, such tim- 

 ber will bo sold by the Forest Branch as 

 soon as the railway provides a market in 

 order that the land may be opened for 

 settloniont. 



T. S. Palmer will do forest survey work 

 in the Nelson District. 



Axel Gold left Victoria some weeks ago 

 to conduct an exploration party and forest 

 survey of the country from the Nation 

 Lakes across the water-sheds of the Pars- 

 nip river to the Peace river. This survey 

 is being conducted with the idea of secur- 

 ing definite information regarding the 

 forest lesources of this northern district. 



Arrangements will be made by the For- 

 est Branch with the Commission of Con- 

 servation to carry on co-oi)erative work in 

 completing the forest survey of British 

 Columbia at as early a date as possible. 

 The forest survey of British Columbia is 

 a matter of national im})ortance as it is 

 popularly supposed that half of the mer- 

 chantable timber of Canada is in British 

 Columbia and the administration of Brit- 

 ish Columbia timber is therefore a matter 

 of the greatest interest to the population 

 of all Canada. 



Fire Protection. 

 Fire protection is the most important 

 work before the Forest Branch this sum- 

 mer. The Poorest Districts have been or- 

 ganised chiefly with the idea of improving 

 fire i)rotection. Previous to this summer 

 there have been no permanent employees 

 in the fire protection service of British 

 Columbia. This summer permanent Forest 

 Districts have been formed, the areas be- 

 ing from 6,000,000 to 28,000,000 acres 

 each. Kach District is in charge of a 

 District Forester who is assisted by a For- 

 est Assistant and a permanent ranger. 

 The permanent staff has been in duty since 

 the fall of 1912 or beginning of 1913. In 

 addition to the permanent organisation 

 Fire Rangers were appointed May Ist to 

 serve for five months through the summer. 

 As the danger of the fire season develops 

 in different parts of the Province arrange- 

 ments have been made to put on an in- 



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