Canadian Furestrij Journal, Xovcmber, 1918 1943 



British Columbia has a slrongly-organized Forest Service wilh a Pro- 

 vincial Forester and a group of District Foresters and rangers. 



Nova Scotia Legislature Endorsed Provincial Forester. 



What of Nova Scotia? 



Nova Scotia has no Provincial Forester, although the need of such an 

 organizer and authority is quite as acute as in British Columbia or New 

 Brunswick. That such an ofTicer is essential to the province was recognized 

 by legislation passed in May 1913, ])roviding for his ap])ointment. 



What would be the duties of a Provincial Forester in Nova Scotia? 



1. To properly organize and develop the present fire ranging, Nova 

 Scotia has excellent legislation already in plan, an existance for prevention of 

 forest fires and the forested areas are so located as to make hre prelection 

 relatively easy. What is required, therefore is that the existing legislation 

 should have thorough and expert application. Only a technically-trained 

 Forester can accomplish this. 



The natural rate of forest growth in Nova Scotia is so favorable that, 

 with fires excluded, restoration of the timber values must take place over 

 very large areas. 



2. The day of haphazard lumbering is over in all parts of America. 

 While the virgin forest remained, the incentive to conservative lumbering 

 was anything but imperative. Now the virgin forests of Eastern Canada 

 are mostly cut out. The pulp and lumber companies are reaching out for 

 technical guidance in the management of their forests so as to perpetuate 

 the supply and save their huge investments. To assist with expert counsel 

 the Provincial Government in the management of the remaining Crown lands 

 and to co-operate constantly with the private woodland owners, whether 

 mill operators or farmers, would be another important part of the Provincial 

 Forester's duties. 



The Power of Education in Forest Guarding. 



3. To this officer would naturally fall a third highly important function 

 which is surely a government's function — to campaign against carelessness 

 with fire. The 'average man' who leaves his camp fire burning or throws 

 away lighted matches and cigarettes is not malevolent by intention. He 

 merely does not "think" because amongst all the impressions he gathers in 

 a day's journey he may never encounter a suggestion that camp fires cause 

 great forest conflagrations. The act is not mentally associated with the idea 

 of vandalism. Eckicational propaganda against forest fires, tackles this 

 'average man' by skillful appeals to common sense and selfish interest. It is 

 to forest protection as hygiene in disease prevention. It modifies the careless 

 attitude, puts out the match before a hundred rangers are asked to put out 

 the holocaust. 



A Provincial Forester in Nova Scotia, by public meetings, lectures, 

 work in the schools, newspaper publicity, distribution of literature, etc., can 

 do a remarkable service in the provincial interests. 



Cut Down Railway Fires By Co-operation. 



4. Yet another most valuable consequence of the appointment of a 

 Provincial Forester for Nova Scotia would be the lessening of timber waste 

 from forest fires caused by the railways. As has been true in all forested 

 ])rovinces of Canada, the task of guarding against fires set from railways 

 requires special organization and unremitting vigilance. 



Since the Dominion Board of Railway Commissioners undertook the 

 direction and supervision of railway fire protection in 19r2, the destruction 

 of timber areas contiguous to the private-owned railway lines has materially 

 lessened. In the case of the public-owned railways, (not under the Board's 

 jurisdiction), co-operative arrangements have in some cases been worked out. 

 usually through the provincial governments, by which patrol work and right- 



