i'Ainaduni Foicslrtj Journal, March, 191/ 



999 



Ontario Plans to Stop Fires 



Minister of Lands and Forests Gets Legislatiue Approval for 

 Progressive Scheme of Fire Elimination. 



Ontario's new plan of Forest Fire 

 Prevention was announced in the 

 Legislature on March 6th by the 

 Minister of Lands and Forests, Hon. 

 G. Howard Ferguson. The Minister 

 stated that the North country would 

 be divided into three districts ac- 

 cording to transportation facilities, 

 each under a supervisor who in turn 

 will have charge of five chief rangers 

 and a ranger staff. The entire direc- 

 tion of the forest protection^ staff will 

 be in the hands cf Mr. E. J. Zavitz, 

 Provincial Forester. An interesting 

 detail of the Minister's announce- 

 ment was that returned soldiers or 

 men who had volunteered for active 

 service would have the preference 

 when appointments in the Depart- 

 ment of Lands, Forests and Mines are 

 being considered. 



The Provincial Forester is invested 

 with wide powers. To his discretion 

 is left the elimination of all fire 

 hazards in forested districts, such as 

 slash in a logging area or on a settler's 

 clearing. Failure to carry out the 

 orders of the Chief Forester gives 

 him the right to undertake the pre- 

 cautionary measures on behalf of the 

 Department, charging the cost against 

 the holder of the property. 



The Bill definitely adopts the 

 principle of a settler's permit pro- 

 vision, making it obligatory for those 

 clearing land in areas (to be specified) 

 to take out a permit from a govern- 

 ment officer before starting to burn 

 debris. 



The fact that the Bill at the pre- 

 sent time leaves much to the discre- 

 tion of the Minister and the Chief 

 Forester is a strong point in its favor 

 for the reason that it would be im- 

 possible to lay out the boundaries of 

 those sections of greatest hazard 

 without several years' experience. 

 The Bill is in an elastic form and de- 



pends for its effect upon the good 

 judgment and thoroughness of the 

 new forest protection staff. 



The protests of many of the North- 

 ern Ontario municipalilies respecting 

 the nuisance of uncleared lands, close 

 to the municipal borders, which have 

 been in all too many cases held by 

 speculators with small regard for the 

 safety of surrounding property are 

 effectually met. Henceforth the own- 

 er must clear his land at the bidding 

 of the municipality or Provincial 

 Forester or the work can be done 

 without his consent and the charges 

 collected in court. 



Mr. Zavitz commenced the organ- 

 ization of his staff several months ago 

 and has made an excellent beginning 

 in the choice of skilled men to fill the 

 posts of supervisors in the three 

 divisions mentioned by the Minister. 



It is note-worthy that the Minister 

 of Lands, Forests and ?vlines told the 

 members of the Canadian Lumber- 

 men's Association in Toronto last 

 month of his intention to take over 

 the entire responsibility for forest 

 protection work in the Province. The 

 Minister made it very clear that he 

 intended to give the Forest Protec- 

 tion Branch charge of the fire ranging 

 system on licensed lands and to meet 

 the cost of this he proposed a fire tax 

 of one cent an acre. This amount, 

 he said, would give the licensed 

 lands a uniform and competent plan 

 of fire patrol with provision for per- 

 manent improvements. The Chief 

 Forester would have authority over 

 the rangers on the timber berths and 

 would so organize them as to secure 

 the maximum value from their ser- 

 vices to both the licensee and the 

 province. 



Mr. Ferguson said that he did not 

 believe the proposed tax would be 

 regarded as excessive, as some of the 



