1912 AND FISHERIES COMMISSION. 161 



and the headwaters of rivers and streams deprived of their protection; 

 the beauty of the scenery will be ruined and the attraction to citizens 

 and visitors to take advantage of the reserve will by so much be dimin- 

 ished; game, both big and small, birds, fur-bearing animals and other 

 creatures will be driven from the locality even if not actually perishing 

 in large numbers; and the damage done in these directions is in large 

 measure irreparable for many and many generations. It is plain, there- 

 fore, that too great precautions can hardly be taken to prevent such a 

 calamity. The safety of the reserves against fire, however, cannot be 

 secured without considerable expenditure and enterprise. At present 

 permanent staffs are maintained in some of the reserves, while in others 

 rangers are only sent in during the dangerous seasons for fire, but in 

 no case has any provision been made for rapid communication or con- 

 centration, and in almost every case, even were these indispensable 

 adjuncts of efficient fire ranging present, the staffs would still be under- 

 manned. In addition, also, to the problem of fire protection it must be 

 observed that where no rangers are in a reserve for seven months of the 

 year, it is not to be disputed that advantage will be taken of the circum- 

 stance to the detriment of the game and fur-bearing animals in it. There 

 can be no question but that it is most desirat)le that all provincial forest 

 reserves should be game reserves also, and, if it is worth while setting 

 aside reserves for the purpose of fulfilling certain definite functions, it 

 must be equally worth while to insure in so far as possible that neither 

 fire nor man shall interfere with their so doing. If, then, the solution 

 of the problem of adequate protection and ranging of all the provincial 

 forest reserves and game reserves, and equipping them generally to meet 

 all probable contingencies, is dependent on the provision of funds, which 

 in all probability it is, seeing that the present chief of the Department is 

 so well seized of the importance of this question, the matter would ap- 

 pear to resolve itself into determining some method or means whereby 

 the work performed by the rangers can be made to produce an income 

 sufficient to cover at least a considerable proportion of their wages, or, 

 in other words, to render the reserves a producing asset in regard to 

 revenue, in addition to being an efficacious but silent and non-producing 

 factor in the general policy of conservation. 



One method of so doing was suggested in the Interim Report of this 

 Commission, and has already been adopted in the Algonquin National 

 Park, namely, the taking of beaver by the ranging staff under the direc- 

 tion of the superintendent and selling the pelts for the benefit of the 

 public treasury. It would seem that the basic idea contained in this 

 scheme might well be extended. The forest reserves are maintained for 

 the benefit of the community of the Province and at public expense, so 

 that the fullest value of any possible products of these reserves should 

 plainly be secured to the public. It cannot be doubted that in all the 

 large forest reserves of tlie Province there are a great number of valu- 

 able fur-bearing animals of various descriptions, and under an efficient 



