Canadian Forestry Journal, February, 1917 



975 



is certain to repay the province hand- 

 somely. An accurate knowledge of 

 the location, composition and value 

 of forest areas, and likewise of agri- 

 cultural soils is the foundation of any 

 intelligent administration, and the 

 plan ought to be applied in advance 

 of settlement in all parts of the Do- 

 minion. 



It is desirable to call attention to 

 the excellent record in fire prevention 

 on the large and valuable timber 

 areas of the St. Maurice and Lower 

 Ottawa Forest Protective Associa- 

 tions in the Province of Quebec. 

 With over 1200 'burning permits' 

 issued to settlers in the St. Maurice 

 territory, not one fire got away, and 

 in suppressing 200 fires caused by 

 other means during the season the 

 loss of merchantable timber amount- 

 ed to only $700 and total losses in 

 young growth, cut over lands, etc. 

 to about $4200. On the lands of the 

 Lower Ottawa Association more than 

 1000 settlers' permits were issued 

 and only one fire got away, doing 

 little damage. The proof of actual 

 prevention of forest fire losses as pro- 

 vided by these Associations must 

 soon persuade other licensees to try 

 the co-operative plan thereby saving 

 on the cost per acre for patrol, and 

 multiplying many fold the degree 

 of protection. The Quebec Govern- 

 ment has given these Associations 

 invaluable help by amending the 

 statutes and regulations and the 

 Minister of Lands and Forests is to 

 be congratulated upon the progressive 

 steps to which he has committed his 

 department. 



The Prairie Province. 



The prairie provinces have been 

 the scene of further activities by the 

 Canadian Forestry Association. We 

 first placed before the Ministers of 

 the three Provincial Governments a 

 proposal for the adoption and en- 

 forcement of a settlers' permit law 

 so as to give the northern timbered 

 districts protection against settlers' 

 clearing fires. While the legisla- 

 tures are yet to deal with the ques- 

 tion of their 1917 sessions, we have 

 reasons to believe that the adoption 

 of the plan will not be long delayed. 



A great work remains to be done in 

 cultivating a better sentiment in the 

 people of the prairies of the need for 

 conserving their forest possessions. 

 As shown by the Directors Report, 

 this task has been taken in hand 

 some months ago by elTective pub- 

 licity methods. 



In British Columbia, the year wit- 

 nessed the resignation of Mr, H. R. 

 MacMillan, a director of the Associa- 

 tion, from the post of Chief Forester 

 of British Columbia to engage in 

 private business. The services of 

 Mr. MacMillan to his Province were 

 of the highest order and it is a matter 

 of gratification to know that the new 

 government has appointed the Acting 

 Chief Forester, Mr. M. A. Grainger, 

 to take his place. 



Damage by Fire. 



Reports of fire damage to the tim- 

 ber of the country during 1916 in- 

 form us that without counting the 

 number of millions that have been 

 needlessly sacrificed, the damage oc- 

 curred very largely where forest pro- 

 tective organization was weakest. In 

 the Claybelt of Northern Ontario, 

 in the Lake St. John, Saguenay, 

 Black River and Kippewa districts 

 of Quebec, the degree of forest guard- 

 ing was not comparable with those 

 regions, such as the St. Maurice 

 Valley or British Columbia where 

 organization for fire control is thor- 

 ough. As concerns the Dominion 

 chartered railways, the record of for- 

 est fire immunity along their lines 

 in 1916 is thoroughly creditable. 

 Practically no fires occurred which 

 could be attributed to railway agen- 

 cies. 



It is fitting that some reference 

 should be made to the remarkable 

 proportion of Canadian forest en- 

 gineers, forest students, rangers, and 

 others in forestry occupations who 

 have taken up military service for 

 their country since the earlier days 

 of the War. Quite two thirds of 

 the technical foresters in the country 

 have long since enlisted, chiefly as 

 combatants, and the number of killed 

 and wounded and of those given 

 military honors testifies warmly_to 

 their spirit of sacrifice. 



