1916-17 DEPARTMENT OF LANDS, FORESTS AND MINES. 149 



Appetulir -No. -'.'/. 



Report of Foukstuy Kkakcii, 1!)1T. 



Sill, — The work of the Forestry Branch for the year ending ;U.st October, 1917, 

 can be conveniently reported under three heading!^, viz., 1. Forest I'roteetion, 11. 

 Reforestation, 111. Tree Diseases. 



I. FOUEST PPtOTKCTION. 



* 

 (1) Legislation. 



The protection of forests from fire in 1917 was carried on under the authority 

 of new legislation, 'The Forest Fires Prevention Act, which embodied the modem 

 features which exj)erience has shown to be desirable. In brief, these .were the permit 

 system in respect to the setting out of fire within a close season, power to compel 

 the cleaning up of fire hazards, and provision for the usual safeguards in the use 

 of engines, mill waste burners, etc. The Act provided for the api)()intmont of a 

 Provincial Forester for its administration. " " ..V 



■- (2) Organization. '■?.:! /r.Toa. r^t; 



The area protected was divided into thirty-four districts, each in charge of a 

 Chief Ranger. Chief Rangers were assisted in their inspection work byone or more 

 deputies according to the number of rangers working in their territory. Over the 

 Chief Rangers were three territorial Ins])ectors, with headquarters at North Bay, 

 Cochrane, and Nipigon; and the general field work Avas supervised by a Sui)erin- 

 tendent for the Province. 



The number of rangers appearing on the monthly paylis'ts was : April, 81; May, 

 838; June,. 972;. July, 1,042; August, 1,020; September, 885; October, 59. Of 

 this total, the maximum number of rangers employed during any one month ex- 

 clusively on Forest Reserves and Provincial Parks was 290; a portion of tbe area 

 is under license. The cost of patrol on reserves and parks was $88,752.25, and 

 outside these $277,372.84. 



The increased number of men required in the new organization Avas due to 

 several factors, namely, the addition of rangers on licensed lands, the introduction 

 of the permit system and the placing of protection on areas where none had ])re- 

 viously existed. 



(3) Patrol Area. 



An increase in the number of rangers employed was necessitated by an Ordcr- 

 in-Council of April 16th, 1917, imposing an annual fire protection charge of $6.40 

 per square mile or fraction thereof on all timl)er berths or limits under license or 

 permit, and on all pulpwood or timber concessions covered by agreements. 



The total area under protection apj)roximated 100 milPon acres. In addition 

 to Crown Lands, licensed and unlicensed, protection was furnished at the request 

 of the owners to 680,000 acres held in fee simple, the cost of which was borne en- 

 tirely by them. 



