Canadian Forest nj Journal, Jiilij, 1918 



1791 



Forest Legislation in Canada 1917-18 



A Resume of Public Measures in 

 the Provincial and Federal Fields. 



In Xvw Brunsa>ick 

 The FOREST SERVICE ACT 



creates a Forest Service in the De- 

 partment of Lands and Mines and 

 empowers the Minister to appoint a 

 technically trained Provincial For- 

 ester. The Forest Service is to 

 administer all statutes and regula- 

 tions re Forestry, Hunting, Fishing, 

 Forest and Game Protection, have 

 charge of the protection of the 

 forests from fire, the construction 

 and maintenance of all permanent 

 improvements (roads, telephone lines, 

 etc., etc.) and reforestation. 



A Forest Advisory Commission 

 is also created to consist of the 

 Minister of Lands and Mines (Chair- 

 man), the Deputy Minister of that 

 department, the Provincial Forester, 

 one lumberman to represent the 

 licenses and another lumJDerman or 

 forester to be named by the Minister, 

 who must be "associated with the 

 ownership or management of the 

 Crown-granted forest lands." The 

 functions of the Commission are to 

 advise in regard to administration 

 and to supervise all permanent ap- 

 pointments. All permanent ap- 

 pointments and, as far as possible, 

 temporary appointments, are to be 

 by examination conducted by an 

 Examining Board, comprised of the 

 Provincial Forester, and two others, 

 all appointments to be approved by 

 the Commission after a six months' 

 probation. A Protecticn Fund, to 

 amount to .S100,0U() per year, is 

 created, made up as follows:- (I) 

 .>30,000 of the revenue collected 

 under the Wild Land Tax, (2) half 

 a cent, per acre on all timber areas 

 under license (the Forest Protection 

 Tax), (3) fines and fees under the 

 Forest Fires Act and the Game Act, 

 (4) balance to be provided from 

 Consolidated Revenue Fund. Any 

 balance at the end of the year is to 

 be placed in a Protection Sinking 



Fund, to be used in case of emergency. 

 Permanent forest rangers are given 

 all the powers of special constables. 



N. B. Forest Fires Act. 

 The Forest Fires Act provides for 

 a closed season (April 15 to October 

 15) to be lengthened if necessary, 

 during which no one may set out a 

 lire (except for cooking or warmth) 

 within half a mile of any slashing or 

 debris, fallen or standing timber or 

 brush land, until he has obtained a 

 permit from a forest officer. Pre- 

 cautions to be taken when starling 

 a fire are stated. Penalty is provided 

 for any person leaving a fire burning 

 so as to endanger the property of 

 another person, and for carelessness, 

 in dropping lighted matches or pipe, 

 cigar and cigarette ashes. No per- 

 son may start a tire on any land not 

 ow^ned by him,exceptwith the owner's 

 consent. Any person neglecting to 

 do his utmost to prevent a lire from 

 spreading is made an offender under 

 the Act and liable to all expenses 

 incurred in extinguishing it. Forest 

 officers are empowered to compel 

 the services of all males between 

 eighteen and fifty years for extin- 

 guishing a fire. The Minister is 

 given power to destroy any material 

 which constitutes a lire danger. . De- 

 bris around camps, mines, saw^-milh- 

 and engines must be cleared up, 

 l)rush and debris resulting from clear- 

 ing all rights of w^ay must be burned 

 and any accumulation of inllammable 

 debris within ;K)() feet of the centre 

 of a railway must be burned; if this 

 is not done, the forest officers are 

 given authority to destroy such debris 

 at the expense of the person interestad. 

 Watchmen are required during the 

 close season for stationary or port- 

 able engines in a forest. Every 

 adult is required to report fires, 

 when know^n. 



