1932 Canadian Foreslry Journal, November, 1^)18 



most careful attention is justified in connection with the young forest, actual 

 and prospective. In 1913 Dr. C. D. Howe made for the Commission of Con- 

 servation, in co-operation with the B. C. Forest Branch, a report upon re- 

 production of commerical species in the southern coastal forests of British 

 Columbia. The investigation extended over an area of about 1,000 square 

 miles, and the report is contained in "Forest Protection in Canada, 1913- 

 1914," pubhshed by the Commission. The report shows that on about one- 

 half of the area logged and burned during the preceding 20 years the forest 

 reproduction is not sufficiently abundant to ensure the re-establishment of 

 the commerical forest. The other half, however, is well stocked with young 

 trees, and, if not burned a forest yielding saw logs is assured. The barren- 

 ness, from the standpoint of young trees, on one-half of the logged area is, to 

 quote the author, "due to the occurrence of repeated fires." One burning 

 stimulates the reproduction of Douglas fir — in fact, it is regarded as necessary 

 for the establishment of dense stands; but a second burning is very disastrous, 

 because it kills both the seed trees and the young growth following the first 

 fire. There is nothing left with which to start another crop of trees on the 

 area. 



Small Patrol Staff — Heavy Fire Losses. 



Now for the application of the foregoing discussion. 



War conditions and the financial situation have made it necesasry for 

 the British Columbia Government to retrench severely, and in addition, en- 

 listments have been heavy from the forest staff. Consequently, the forests, 

 protection work has suffered severely since 1914. 



The reports of the Provincial Forest Branch show that in 1914 the tem- 

 porary staff of forest guards and patrolmen consisted of 391 men; in 1915 this 

 was reduced to 218, and in 1916 to 200. The permanent staff for the same 

 years was 167, 160 and 136, respectively. The report for 1916 states that the 

 reductions brought the patrol staff to a number below safety, very large areas 

 of Crown timber being left entirely without protection, only a fortunately 

 favorable season saving the situation. The same report shows that large 

 areas of valuable second growth \vere destroyed, particularly in the interior. 

 The report for 1915 states that owing to various unavoidable circumstances 

 fires that year were less strenuously combatted than in any other recent fire 

 season. The fires were fought only where timber merchantable at the present 

 time was threatened, or in cases where a large amount of property, such as cut 

 timber and buildings were endangered. Such a policy, the report continued, 

 is reflected in the size of the fires, these increasing as the patrol staff decreases. 

 The conclusion is drawn that fire-fighting is efficacious and does really reduce 

 the fire damage — a fact which should surely require not even an argument. 

 The inevitable result of such a policy of severe retrenchment in the patrol 

 staff and fire-fighting allotment must be that large areas of valuable young 

 growth will be sacrificed, with consequent serious deterioration in the quality 

 and quantity of the future forest on these lands, as already explained. The 

 fire situation during 1917, and more particularly during the current year, 

 demonstrates conclusively the disastrous results that may logically be an- 

 ticipated from a policy of letting the young forest so largely take care of 

 itself. 



Public Sentiment and Better Fire Protection. 



The serious difficulties in connection with the labor shortage and the 

 financial situation are, of course, obvious. So far, however, as the latter is 

 concerned, it is beheved that the Provincial Government could well afford 

 to set aside for forest protection a materially larger proportion of the very 

 handsome forest revenue that is being derived, even though it were necessary 

 to raise the rate of taxation to meet the deficit in the amount available for 

 purposes of general governmental administration. The policy that it has 

 been deemed necessary to pursue during at least the past four years means the 



