1212. 



Canadian Forestry Journal, July, 1917 



Farm Lands in Forest Reserves 



By D. Roy Camerson 



Inspector of Forest Reserves, Kamloops, B. C. 

 in Annual Report, Dominion Forestry Branch. 



"The principal objection made to 

 the establishment of further forest 

 reserves in this district has been the 

 fear of the possible inclusion of agri- 

 cultural lands. This fear is the result 

 of a statement made some two years 

 ago, that the development of the 

 country was being retarded by the 

 tying up of areas of agricultural lands 

 within forest reserves. This matter 

 has been discussed in my reports of 

 previous years and mention made of 

 the recommended eliminations of land 

 of possible agricultural value. Un- 

 fortunately, owing to the war, statu- 

 tory action has not been taken as yet 

 in accordance with such recommenda- 

 tions, so that a somewhat anomalous 

 condition exists with regard to such 

 lands. 



"The present method of requiring 

 action by parliament to withdraw 

 agricultural lands found to be in- 

 cluded in forest reserves causes con- 

 siderable delay, which it would be well 

 to obviate. 



"It seems reasonable to expect that, 

 so far as lands valuable only for the 

 production of hay are concerned, the 

 proposed amendments to the regula- 

 tions with reference to hay meadows 

 will afford the best solution of the 

 utilization of such lands. Observa- 

 tions of the degree of development 

 attained in cultivation of lands of this 

 class by settlers and squatters on 

 adjoining forest reserves show that 

 in the majority of cases the outlook 

 for these people is well nigh hopeless. 

 Now that government work has been 

 largely discontinued, owing to the 

 necessity for economy in expenditure, 

 the unequal struggle has forced many 

 to abandon such claims and seek a 

 livelihood elsewhere. This condition 

 of affairs is evidence of the truth of the 

 statement made by myself previously 

 that the extraneous support given by 

 government work was all that enabled 

 settlers on such lands to remain, and 



that the lands themselves cannot be 

 considered as suitable for homesteads 

 in the true sense of the term, namely, 

 that they enable a settler to obtain a 

 descent living from them alone. 



Settlers are Hampered 



"There are, however, lands within 

 forest reserves, other than hay lands, 

 about which there can be legitimate 

 doubts as to their value for agricul- 

 tural purposes. With the introduc- 

 tion of impr ved methods of agricul- 

 ture, especially with reference to dry 

 farming, and following the impetus 

 given by the 'back to the land' move- 

 ment which is bound to come on the 

 termination of the war, it may[ be 

 expected that there will be very in- 

 sistent demand for a chance to use 

 lands within forest reserves which 

 possess any potentialities whatsoever 

 agriculturally. The need of prepared- 

 ness for this eventuality leads me to 

 believe that we can no longer delay 

 consideration of the introduction of a 

 'forest homestead' amendment to the 

 Forest Reserve Act, applicable at 

 least to British Columbia, which will 

 provide for the disposal of agriculural 

 lands within forest reserves in a similar 

 way^to the act of June 11, 1906, with 

 reference to national forests in the 

 United States. 



A personal message sent by the 

 Canadian Forestry Association to 

 more than 3600 "professional" guides, 

 trappers, hunters and fishermen: 

 Dear Friend: 



A runaway fire does no service to 

 sportsman, guide, timber - owner, 

 artisan, or the public treasury. Every 

 man is a loser when fire gets away. 



The Canadian Forestry Association 

 in which over 5000 Canadian out- 

 doors men take part, asks your help 

 to keep 1917 as free as possible from 

 forest fires. 



