760 



Canadian Forestry Journal, October, ipi6 



B, C. Rangers Review Their Problems 



\. 



(From Vancouver "Province.") 

 New Westminster, Sept. 30. — Do- 

 minion fire rangers of the New West- 

 minster district met yesterday after- 

 noon in the Cokimbian block in this 

 city to review the work of the past sea- 

 son, and lay plans for better protec- 

 tion from bush fires for British Colum- 

 bia timber. Crown Timber Agent E. 

 W. Beckett, who presided, initiated 

 these meetings of the rangers, one be- 

 ing held just prior to the men going to 

 their duties in the spring, and the other 

 when they return in the autumn. The 

 interchange of ideas has proved most 

 beneficial. 



Reeve Lougheed of Maple Ridge, 

 who has long ben closely interested in 

 the timber question in this province, 

 in addressing yesterday's meeting, 

 pointed out the urgent need for refor- 

 estation in British Columbia. Acces- 

 sible timber is rapidly being used up. 

 and if something is not done now there 

 will be little doing in the timber busi- 

 ness in this province in another fifteen 

 years. He favored experimenting 

 with eastern hardwoods in burned 

 areas as being more practicable than 

 waiting for the slow-growing native fir 

 and cedar. Some of the eastern varie- 

 ties, he thought, would do well here, 

 and should produce timber of a mer- 

 chantable size, twelve to sixteen inches 

 in diameter, within ten to fifteen years. 

 He himself, and he believed, other lum- 

 bermen would be willing to put up a lit- 

 tle more money than they are now as- 

 sessed if the government would do 

 some experimenting along these lines. 

 Mr. D. Roy Cameron, district inspec- 

 tor of forest reserves, when dealing 

 with the same subject, predicted that 

 forest reserves would be created, and 

 that in time extensive experiments in 

 reforestation would be carried on. 



The meeting was held primarily for 

 the discussion of methods of fighting 

 forest fires. A resolution was passed 

 by the meeting asking for an amend- 

 ment to the Provincial Bush Act, pro- 

 viding once more for the necessity of 



obtaining a permit for setting a fire 

 prior to October 1. For the past two 

 years no permit has been necessary af- 

 ter September 15. The speakers all 

 emphasized the necessity of burning 

 the slashings following the construc- 

 tion of railway rights-of-way, roads 

 and settlers' clearings ,so as to prevent 

 the spread of bush fires. That pumps 

 be supplied to water patrols, and the 

 need of more look-out stations were 

 some of the suggestions made. The 

 look-out station established this year 

 on Mount Cheam, near Chilliwack, 

 proved a great success, and gave com- 

 mand of a wide area of timber. From 

 that station on clear days one can see 

 right out to the Gulf of Georgia. 



Guides for Excursion Parties. 



'T would like to se a law enacted 

 compelling fishing parties always to 

 have a guide accompany them on their 

 excursions and make them pay the ex- 

 penses of the guide, and I would have 

 wardens appointed to follow small ex- 

 cursion parties into the well-known 

 fishing grounds, and I would make it 

 penal for any one to throw their cigar- 

 ette or cisrar butts or the heel of their 

 pies into the bushes or dry leaves. 



"If this course were followed, it 

 would put sportsmen on their guard, 

 and prevent a large number of fires 

 which do such serious damage. 



"If possible a fire in the woods 

 should be built on the shore of a river 

 or stream, otherwise a rock fire place 

 should be put up to build a fire on, 

 and white birch should be used, if ob- 

 tainable, for fuel, as it will not spark 

 and does not produce coals to any 

 amount to retain the fire." — Henry B. 

 Rainsford, Fredericton, N.B. 



The Cover Picture. 



This month's cover picture shows 

 Gates Lake ,in the Lillooet District of 

 British Columbia, Pacific and Great 

 Eastern Railway. 



