CANADIAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION 9 



In the province of Nova Scotia a Bill has been introduced into the legislature 

 providing for the establishment of a fire ranging system. As in this province the 

 forest lands have largely passed into private hands, the suggested system is based on 

 the appointment of fire wardens for the counties, the larger forest areas in such 

 divisions to assist in the payment of the service by means of a special tax. The in- 

 teresting of the municipal authorities in forested districts in the prevention of fires 

 is a desirable object for which as yet no fully satisfactory solution has been worked 

 out in Canada, and it is one deserving attention and which might very well be made 

 a subject of special study by the association. 



Your directors desire to draw the attention of the members of this association, 

 as well as that of the public in general, to the fact that a commission was appointed 

 by the Government of the province of Quebec, in March, 1902, to : 



1st. Make a critical study of the law and regulations respecting public lands, 

 roads and forests, colonization societies, works and roads, and the protection of set- 

 tlers, as well as the carrying out of such laws and regulations; 



2nd. To inquire into the number and causes of the difficulties between settlers 

 and holders of timber licenses, and to advise upon methods for their prevention and 

 removal ; 



3rd. To find out what are the sections of the country most suitable for coloniza- 

 tion; 



4th. To ascertain whether the present colonization roads are sufficient to give 

 access to the good farming lands, whether the extent of surveyed land is large enough, 

 and if the work performed by colonization societies deserves encouragement; 



5th. To inquire whether in the interests of the colonization of the province it is 

 expedient to contribute towards the building of certain bridges, and to grant subsidies 

 in lands to certain railway companies; 



6th. To study the new proposals or systems which may be submitted to it, and, 

 whilst taking into account the financial resources of the province, to recommend those 

 which tend to amend the laws and regulations so as to foster colonization and the 

 development of forest industries. 



The scope of the commission being a very wide one and the subjects to be in- 

 vestigated of vital interest to the province of Quebec in particular, and of interest 

 to all the other provinces of the Dominion, the report of this commission will be 

 looked forward to with great interest. 



The province of Prince Edward Island has also appointed a commission whose 

 duties are similar to those of the province of Quebec. 



TREE PLANTING AND FOREST RESERVATION. 



The operations of the Dominion Forestry Branch in connection with the tree 

 planting scheme have shown steady expansion. This is clearly evidenced by the figures 

 of the distribution of plant material. In 1901, the first year of operation, eighteen 

 settlers were supplied with 63,780 trees, and for the present year, 1904, 1,030 settlers 

 will be supplied, 1,700,000 trees having been provided for this purpose. The total 

 distribution, including 1904, will be 3,210,467 trees and 1,518 Ibs. of seed to 2,064 

 settlers. It is estimated that the applications for the year 1905 will reach the number 

 of 2,300. 



A recent estimate of the area of timber reserves under control of the Dominion 

 places the figure at 15,1352 square miles, or 9,686,880 acres, 3,449,600 acres being in 

 Manitoba, 5,612,800 in the North-West Territories and 624,480 acres in British 

 Columbia. A decision has been reached to open the Rocky Mountains Foothills Timber 

 Reserve to disposal under license. As this reserve controls the water supply of a 

 large part of southern Alberta where irrigation is necessary for successful agriculture, 

 the conditions are unique and the administration of this reserve should not be car- 

 ried out on the same principles as are adopted in connection with other tracts. 



