16 COMMISSION OF CONSERVATION 



most closely interested in seeing as much of their land as possible put to 

 profitable use, in order to reduce the individual tax assessments and, 

 at the same time, to permit of a higher degree of civilization through 

 increased industrial activities and educational facilities. 



Private landholders will be benefited by better protection. Their 

 property will increase in value owing to the improved environment, 

 partictdarly if a continuous improvement of conditions is assured in 

 place of the present tendency towards deterioration. With manage- 

 ment for perpetuity, instead of exploitation for a short time, per- 

 manent manufactures can be established, industrial development will 

 increase, and the pubHc at large will gain in prosperity. 



Co-operation of all these agencies will be necessary to carry through 

 any far-sighted, persistent policy. The co-operation of the three 

 administrative agencies, the Dominion, Provincial and Municipal 

 governments, is especially needed to develop anything like a per- 

 manent forest policy, for forest growth is slow, and financial results 

 from timber growing, the only incentive for private enterprise, are slow 

 in coming, so that only persistent entities like governments can be 

 expected to carry on the business of timber growing. The policy, then, 

 should be to bring all the lands which are not strictly farm lands as 

 rapidly as possible imder the control of one, or any, of these three 

 agencies. These lands should be combined into one or more forest 

 reserves, and a forest administration should be provided for. 



Municipal Ownership — The most natural owners of such forest 

 reserves are undoubtedly the municipalities as representatives of the 

 people who are on the ground, and who, therefore, should take the 

 greatest interest in its condition. One of the counties has already 

 recognized the propriety of getting possession of these cut-over lands. 

 The county of Hastings, under the leadership of Reeve P. P. Clark of 

 Limerick township, organized a Forest Committee in 191 1, with this 

 end in view. It secured legislation from the Provincial Parliament 

 permitting municipalities to acquire such lands and to expend funds in 

 purchase of such to a limit of $25,000. In pursuance of this legisla- 

 tion the County has acquired 2,200 acres in the township of Grims- 

 thorpe, outside of the Trent watershed, paying therefor the accrued 

 taxes at the rate of about 17 cents per acre. At the instance of the 

 writer, and, as a result of his address to the County Council of Peter- 

 borough, a similar committee to look into the matter of municipal 

 ownership of cut-over lands was appointed in that county last summer. 



Since this legislation marks a new and important phase of the 

 forestry movement, the Act (I Geo. V. Chap. 74, 191 1) is below, printed 

 in full. 



