1922-23 DEPARTMENT OF LANDS AND FORESTS 161 



Appendix No. 42 

 Report of the Forestry Branch, 1923 



Sir, — The report of the work of this Branch for the year ending October 

 31st, 1923, is given under the sections of Forest Fire Protection, Forest Investiga- 

 tions, Reforestation and Forest Pathology. 



I. — Forest Fire Protection 



(1) Legislation 



The "Permit Area," as designated in an Order-in-Council dated the 18th 

 day of May, 1917, was by an Order-in-Council dated the 1st day of June, 1923, 

 extended to cover the entire Province within the Fire Districts. The benefits 

 derived from this extension were, for the balance of the season, immeasurable. 



Forest protection requires the unstinted support of the general public. 

 The individual in the woods does not accept sufficient responsibility as a citizen. 

 The result is, in many instances, gross carelessness and indifference in causing 

 fires, and flat refusal to assist in fighting them. 



The exceptionally dry periods experienced this past season, and the resultant 

 serious fire situation, emphasized more strongly than ever the need for jail 

 sentences as an alternative to a fine for certain infringements of the Act. 



The failure on the part of the general public to give co-operation towards 

 the suppression of a forest fire, not only makes compulsory fire-fighting extremely 

 advisable, but points to a crying need for legislation placing the onus of proof 

 for responsibility of a fire on the person occupying the land on which the'fiie 

 occurs. ' 



The appointment of certain superior field officers as justices of the pea'ie 

 for the purpose of taking cognizance of offences against the provisions of the 

 Act or the Regulations is also desirable. 



(2) Organization and Personnel 



The Western Inspectorate, comprising the districts of Kenora, Rainy River, 

 and Thunder Bay as far east as White River on the Canadian Pacific Railway, 

 and Tashota and Caramat on the Canadian National Railways, was under the 

 supervision of one Forest Supervisor, with headquarters at Port Arthur. This 

 Inspectorate was divided into seven Chief Ranger Districts, namely Kenora, 

 with headquarters at Kenora; C.G.R. Western, which consisted of a supervisory 

 patrol over the Canadian National Railways from Fort William to Ophir, 

 headquarters at Sioux Lookout; C.G.R. Central, headquarters at Armstrong; 

 Rainy River, headquarters at Fort Frances; Thunder Bay, headquarters at 

 Port Arthur; Nipigon, headquarters at Macdiarmid; and Longlac, headquarters 

 at Longlac. 



The Cochrane Inspectorate, comprising the territory along the northern 

 line of the Canadian National Railways from the Quebec boundary west to the 

 eastern boundary of Nipigon Reserve and extending north to the Albany River 

 and James Bay, was supervised by one Fire Inspector with headquarters at 

 Cochrane. This area was divided into eight Chief Ranger Districts as follows: 

 C.G.R. Eastern, headquarters at Grant; Hearst, headquarters at Hearst; Kapus- 

 kasing, headquarters at Kapuskasing; Cochrane, headquarters at Cochrane; 

 Abitibi, headquarters at Lowbush; Matheson, headquarters at Matheson; 

 Timmins, headquarters at Timmins; New Liskeard, headquarters at New 

 Liskeard. 



6 L.F. 



