What Newfoundland Does To Safeguard Her Forests 



{Cotifrihttf( <1 to tin Cmnulian Forrsfrif Joiinuil hi/ Ilmi. /'. '/'. Mid'nith, 



St, Jnlni's^ y/hl.) 



Xewfouiiillaiul 's inoasures for the protection of lier forests are ilireeteil mainly liv 

 a Fire Patrol Boanl. Tliis is a volunteer committee to wliieh the IJovernmeiit ami tlie 

 leading holders of timber areas are jiarties. Tiie Minister of A^'riniltiire anil .Mines is 

 i-hairman ex-oflieio and the Clovernment j^rants $4,(1(1(1 a year towar.js the fiinil. whirh 

 the timlier licensees supplement liy a somewhat similar sum, so that annually there is 

 available from $S,0UO to .tl>,(.l».tU for the purposes of the lioard. The forest areas through 

 the interior of the country on either side of the transinsular railroad which traverses 

 the Island, are divided into sections, each of which is siiperviseil in most cases liv the 

 manager of the company controlling the tind)cr areas in the immediate vicinity. None 

 of these persons received any salary whatever and all the employees engaged in each 

 section are hired and discharged by the superintendent, report to him and carry out 

 his directions, while general reports and time sheets are sent to a general secretary who 

 happens to be at present an official of one of the lumbering companies ami who receives 

 a small honorarium for his services in this capacity. In addition, the (iovernrni'nt 

 places at the disj)0sal of the Board the services of the chief forest ranger of the Islainl, 

 who has, on his own part, extensive powers to employ men and eijuipments to light 

 forest fires wherever these may be raging. 



All the principal areas which are now being worked in the Colony are connected 

 by telephone with the superintendent of that particular section, and there are public- 

 and railway telegraph lines along either side of the railroad and telegraph offices at all 

 stopping points, so that every facility is thus provided. During the winter months, 

 of course, there is comparatively no fear of fire in the wooded country, and in the sum- 

 mer, when dam buihling and other work is carried on, only trusted nuMi are emploved, 

 and the "bosses" are such as may be trusted to take every i)recaution to prevent fires 

 spreading. 



The service so far, and it has been in operation for five years, has been very satis- 

 fai-torily jterformed, and no serious forest fire has oc<'urred in the ]>rinci|>al wooded 

 areas of tlie country since its inception. Elsewhere throughout the Island, inland from 

 the seaboard, where it is difficult to maintain an efficient servi<-e of fire wardens, except 

 at a cost utterly beyond the means of the Colony, there are such fires from time to time, 

 but those engaged in the lumbering industry in the Colony and familiar with its con- 

 ditions, are satisfie<l that no country on this side of the Atlantic is now so well )iro- 

 tected, all things considereil, as is Newfoundland. 



No methods of conservation of the forests are practised in this Island. The experi- 

 ence of all engaged in the lumber industry is that when an area is cut or burnt out the 

 new growth conies up too quickly to render such necessary, and while in the natural 

 order of things the rule of the survival of the fittest ajjplies in our forestry problems, the 

 (|uickuess with which wood grows to a size suitable for pulp wood renders scientific 

 measures entirelv unnecessarv. 



Government Railways Adopt Protective Rules 



Tlie railway lines operated by the 

 Department of Railways and Canals 

 have liocn plafod by the ^linister, 

 Hon. Frank Coeiirane, under the 

 same fire protection regulations as 

 are imposed by the Hoard of Railway 

 ('oinniission<'rs on all the coinpany- 

 owni'd systems. This si^'uities a most 

 important step in the cause of forest 

 jirotection. inasmuch as the territory 

 traversed by the National Transeon- 

 tineiital from .Moncton to Winnipeg 

 is heavily wooded in nearly all sec- 

 tions, while the forests continguous 



to the Intercolonial tracks, ;iltli(»iigh 

 injured by fires of the past, are still 

 well worth the utmost jireeaution. 

 Co-operative measures have already 

 been set in motion by the Govern- 

 ments of Ontario and New Hi'uns- 

 "wiek, acting with the Ft-ileral I)e- 

 pai'tment of Railways, having in 

 view the efficient i)atrol of the rail- 

 way lines within the provincial bor- 

 ders. Action of a similar character 

 is inider consideration by the Gov- 

 einment of Quebec. 



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