1982 



Canadian Forestry Journal, December, 1918 



New Brunswick to the Fore! And Why? 



Bij G. II. Prince, Provincial Forester. 



Go-ahead Policy of Practical Forest Manage- 

 ment — Political Control of Rangers Outlawed. 



The present marked development 

 in forest administration in New Brun- 

 swick, may be traced largely to a 

 Forestry Convention held m Fred- 

 ericton just eleven years ago. At that 

 important gathering of practical and 

 scientific men, the many problems 

 of Proper Utilization, fire protection 

 and forest conservation were fully 

 discussed and many far-reaching reso- 

 lutions were presented to the Govern- 

 ment. The most important and im- 

 mediate result of the convention was 

 the establishment of a four years' 

 course in Forestry in the University 

 of New Brunswick in the following 

 year. _ 



In all, twenty-four foresters have 

 since graduated from this university 

 a small number, but well worth the 

 effort when you consider the great 

 part they have taken and are taking 

 in the development of forest conserva- 

 tion in Canada. 



Before attempting to state further 

 what the Government has done, let 

 us consider the progress of forestry 

 with owners of granted forest land. 

 One company owning over one and 

 one-half million acres of forest land 

 in New Brunswick early started the 

 surve\'ing and cruising of their hmits. 

 This forest survey, a task that took 

 over five years, furnished the com- 

 pany with accurate timber maps, 

 timber estimates, reports on the con- 

 ditions and growth of the timber, 

 etc. This information has had much 

 to do with shaping this company's 

 policy in regard to the disposal of its 

 timber towards an increased income 

 and a perpetual supply. Quite ex- 

 tensive surveys have also been made 

 by two other large owners of private 

 lands. 



Learning true Conditions 



The Government of New Bruns- 

 wick, no doubt realizing, as the 



private companies have done, that 

 the best results in the management 

 of its greatest resource, the forest, 

 could not be obtained without a full 

 knowledge of that asset, passed the 

 Act which provided for the Forest 

 Survey and classification of the seven 

 and one-half million acres of Crown 

 Lands. This survey, commenced in 

 1916, has been continued as rapidly 

 as possible, consistent with war con- 

 ditions, and already nearly one-quar- 

 ter of the total area has been surveyed 

 and mapped, at a cost of approxi- 

 mately four and one-half cents per 

 acre. 



The objects of the survey as 

 defined by the Act, are, briefly: First 

 — ^To report with as much detail as 

 possible upon the character and 

 quantity of the lumber, estimating the 

 quantity of timber and the repro- 

 ductive capacity of the forest. 



Second — to estimate as accurately 

 as possible the annual growth of 

 timber upon each area or tract. 



Third — To report upon the access- 

 ibility of the timber on each section 

 estimating cost of logging on the 

 different areas and cost of driving. 



Fourth — ^To report the location 

 of lands deemed suitable for agri- 

 culture, distinguishing them from 

 other lands that might be regarded 

 as suitable for the growth of timber 

 only. 



In order to obtain the above 

 information the most modern and 

 scientific methods of -timber estimat- 

 ing and mapping have been employed, 

 and this survey is said to be the most 

 extensive of any survey of its kind in 

 regards to area in North America. 



\V7]fl/ the Survey Does 



Of what use is the Forest Survey 

 to New Brunswick. Briefly: 



(1) It will give definite informa- 



