Canadian Forestrp Journal 



Vol. XI. 



October, 1915. 



No. 10. 



HOW THE "PERiMIT SYSTEM " 

 WORKS IN BRITISH COLUMBIA 



By 



M. A. Grainger, 



Acting Chief Forester. 



In British Columbia the need of 

 regulating land-clearing fires to pre- 

 vent damage to adjoining timber 

 was recognized almost twenty years 

 ago. In 1897 stringent regulations 

 were^ inserted in "The Bush Fire 

 Act," which required the construc- 

 tion of suitable fire guards around 

 the slashings, and that the settler 

 should have available a sufficient 

 force of assistants to hold his fire 

 from spreading. Penalties for non- 

 compliance were imposed. Fire 

 wardens were appointed to enforce 

 the ^provisions of "The Bush Fire 

 Act" about the same date. 



After the law had been operative 

 for some time, the provisions were 

 found to be insufficient to control 

 land-clearing fires. In March, 1910, 

 by an amendment to "The Bush Fire 

 Act" the policy of controlling fires 

 by means of permits, was embodied 

 in law. This provision was re-enact- 

 ed in "The Forest Act," which has 

 been effective since 1912. 



Success is Conclusive. 



u ?'''u^^ Columbia, therefore, has 

 had the permit system in effect for 

 SIX fire seasons, and has maintained 

 astaff each year sufficient to super- 

 vise the granting and use of permits 

 ^ix yeai^s successful experience has 

 convinced practically every citizen 

 that the system of fire permits is a 

 valuable conservation measure. 



Burning permits are required over 

 the whole province with the excep- 

 tion of small, well settled communi- 

 ties where the forest areas are much 

 broken up by clearings. Permits 

 are required from May 1st to Sep- 

 tember 15th for clearing land, for 

 agriculture, and for clearing any 

 debris along roads and railways, 

 around camps and mines, or logging 

 slash. Permits can be obtained only 

 from the regular forest guards and 

 rangers, and Dominion wardens, 

 and municipal authorities who may 

 be granted special power to issue 

 them. Written permits onlv are al- 

 lowed and the regular permit form 

 only is used. 



Over 11,000 Issued. 



In 1914, 346 provincial guards and 

 rangers issued 11,523 permits for 

 burnmg brush. There is naturally 

 a certain amount of hazard in almost 

 every clearing fire, but so well has 

 the issuance of permits been super- 

 vised that in only 128 cases did the 

 fire get away. The permittee must 

 do all in his power to prevent a 

 permit fire getting beyond bounds. 

 Before a permit is issued the guard 

 or ranger inspects the area to be 

 burned to determine whether or not 

 It can be burned with safety, and to 

 see if fire lines have been made 

 around the edge, or in some cases 

 he demands that the brush be piled 



