106 



Canadian Forestry Journal, July, 19 IS. 



creased number of patrol men for shorter 

 periods of one to three months. 



The chief sources of fire risk in British 

 Columbia are: settlers clearing land; rail- 

 ways; logging operations; and miscel- 

 laneous travellers in the words. 



The law requiring all the settlers to 

 secure permits from employees of the 

 Forest Branch before setting out fires be- 

 tween May 1st and October 1st has become 

 part of the custom of the country, and 

 has produced such excellent results that 

 the Forest Branch is securing the co-oper- 

 ation of the settlers of practically all the 

 districts. The increase in the number of 

 fire-wardens this year has also greatly 

 facilitated matters in this respect. 



A great source of fire risk during British 

 Columbia's present stage of development is 

 the construction of railways; the Forest 

 Branch is assuming that the expense, fol- 

 lowing upon the adoption of regulations 

 framed to reduce the fire risk, is just as 

 legitimate a part of the expense of rail- 

 way construction as the expense incurred 

 in clearing or grading the right-of-way. 

 The Forest Act and the Railway Act of 

 British Columbia were drawn up on the 

 above assumption. The most important 

 regulations under the two Acts quoted 

 require: 



A. That railway companies in construc- 

 tion work must clean up all slash within 

 200 feet of the railway. 



B. That railway companies in construc- 

 tion work must clean up all slash caused 

 by the cutting of timber; the building of 

 camps; the construction of 'tote' roads; 

 or in any other manner 



C. That during construction the railway 

 company must maintain a patrol satisfac- 

 tory to the Forest Branch and must pay 

 all expenses of that patrol or of exting- 

 uishing any fires starting from the con- 

 struction work. 



The Forest Branch has endeavored to 

 secure compliance 'with the above regula- 

 tions from contractors throughout the 

 Province. As a result, contractors on the 

 Grand Trunk Pacific, Canadian Northern 

 Pacific and Canadian Pacific Railway lines 

 have piled or burne<l brush on the areas 

 logged over by them in securing ties and 

 other timbers; and have cleaned up in a 

 satisfactory manner all the slash thrown 

 off the right-of-way into the timber ad- 

 joining roads and railway right-of-way. 

 Where contractors have been unwilling or 

 inclined to refuse to carry on this work, 

 they have finally agreed, when faced with 

 actions in the courts or with cancellation 

 of their various timber privileges. As 

 railway contractors have never met with 

 the enforcing of such regulations elsewhere 

 in Canada it is not to be wondered at that 

 some of them rebel. 



The Forest Act provides the Forest Pro- 

 tection Fund for both fire patrol and per- 



manent improvements. During the past 

 winter and spring officers of the Forest 

 Branch, assisted by two telephone experts 

 have been locating telephone lines; . the 

 construction of several lines have been 

 undertaken chiefly in the Cranbrook and 

 Vernon Districts. In several instances 

 the expense is being charged between the 

 Forest Branch and the owners of timber 

 lands or companies interested in water- 

 shed protection. The municipalities of 

 Armstrong and Vernon have made grants 

 to assist in the construction of a telephone 

 line to a 'look-out' i)oint which com- 

 mands a view of the water-shed upon 

 which these two towns depend for their 

 water supply. A similar co-operative ar- 

 rangement is under consideration at pre- 

 sent between the Forest Branch and the 

 Irrigation Companies and the towns of 

 Kelowna and Penticton. 



The Forest Branch has also under con- 

 sideration at present the opening up and 

 improving of trails which will increase 

 fire protection. Motor boats have been 

 built for fire patrol on Arrow Lake and 

 Kootenay Lake. Canoes are being pur- 

 chased for patrol on the Fraser, Columbia 

 and Thompsbn rivers and ten motor boats 

 have been secured for fire and timber in- 

 spection on the Coast. 



The Forest Branch has taken up with 

 the lumbermen of the Province the ques- 

 tion of slash burning. It has been found 

 by experiment that slash burning on 

 logging operations in the different forests 

 of the Province is practicable; costs very 

 little money; and greatly increases fire 

 protection. Arrangements have been made 

 with a number of the most prominent 

 logging companies in British Columbia to 

 have their logging slash burned over this 

 spring, and such burning as has been car- 

 ried on up to date has proven very satis- 

 factory and has greatly decreased the fire 

 danger. Figures on the cost of slash burn- 

 ing are being collected and a statement 

 will be issued this fall dealing with this 

 subject. It is found that railway con- 

 tractors who burned their slash after tie 

 cutting operations this spring <lid so at 

 very little expense and removed any ser- 

 ious fire hazards. 



A co-operative agreement has been made 

 with the Dominion Entomologist provid- 

 ing for an investigation of the economical 

 forest insects of British Columbia. This 

 investigation will be carried on this sum- 

 mer by Mr. J. M. Swaine. 



The question of an efficient staff is, per- 

 haps, the most vital problem that has to be 

 handled at the pres-ent time — a staff that 

 understands its business and is prepared to 

 attend to it. — U. IT. Campbell, Director of 

 Forestry for Canada, at the Annual Meeting 

 of the Commission of Conservation, 



