804 



Canadian Forestry Journal, Noi'enibcr, jqi6 



Better Protection for Western Forests 



Governments Asked to Stop Needless Destruction by Settlers* 

 Clearing Fires — A Promise of Improved Conditions 



The effect of the war in bringing Ca- 

 nadians to appraise natural resources 

 from the point of view of broad public 

 interest has had its share in the im- 

 proved relations of the prairie pro- 

 vinces toward their local timber posses- 

 sions. Beyond any doubt, the West 

 is coming to see that irrespective of 

 questions of eventual provincial con- 

 trol, the guarding of the forest assets 

 plays into the hands of the Western 

 people, while forest neglect through 

 indifference of local or federal govern- 

 ments collects its toll from within the 

 provincial boundaries. Despite an im- 

 pression to the contrary, the Dominion 

 Government makes no gain on a year's 

 operations of the Western forests, but 

 is out of pocket many thousands 

 of dollars for protection and admin- 

 istration. Without taking sides on 

 the claim of the provinces for control 

 of natural resources, it is manifest that 

 the forests must continue for many 

 years a financial liability on whatever 

 government undertakes their manage- 

 ment, and that thorough protection 

 from fire and all forms of waste at the 

 present day can have only a good re- 

 sult, the enhancement of an essential 

 public asset throughout Manitoba, Sas- 

 katchewan, and Alberta, thereby in- 

 creasing the quantity and cheapening 

 the costs of the local wood supplies, 

 and finally making a large and perma- 

 nent contribution to the public reve- 

 nues. 



While one might point to many most 

 necessary reforms in the handling of 

 the Western timber lands. Govern- 

 ment toleration of such disadvantages 

 can be ended only by a vigorous and 

 well-informed public opinion. The 

 pressure must come from the W^est it- 

 self. If the political patronage system 

 is playing hob with the efficient admin- 

 istration of the forests, as who mav 



doubt, the protest must come from the 

 Western people who know the facts 

 at first hand and are most directly con- 

 cerned- In this great public service, 

 the Western members of the Canadian 

 Forestry Association are possessed to- 

 day of a fine opportunity. They real- 

 ize the necessity for better conditions, 

 and have plenty of public spirit to im- 

 press their enlightened ideas upon 

 tard}- administrations. Only continual 

 publicity and agitation will set aright 

 the forest policies affecting the West. 

 W^rong methods, extravagant systems, 

 have their consent in public ignorance. 

 Education puts them to flight. 



A First Step. 



A few weeks ago the Canadian For- 

 estry Association set out to obtain at 

 least an elementary concession in the 

 interests of fire prevention in the tim- 

 bered lands of Manitoba, Saskatche- 

 wan, and Alberta. We refer to the 

 adoption of a form of "burning permit" 

 law which would keep down the losses 

 from settlers' clearing fires in all tim- 

 bered areas. 



It is well known that most of the 

 new immigration is homesteading in 

 the northern forest-covered lands. 

 That introduces the same sort of fire 

 peril as startled the country through 

 the Claybelt Horror of North Ontario 

 last summer. The settler must use 

 fire to clear his land. No one seeks 

 to deny him that right, but clearing 

 fires are points of grave danger to hu- 

 man life and to public-owned timber 

 properties. The greater part of the 

 northern areas has no soil fit for farm- 

 ing, and if the millions of acres are to 

 be kept out of absolute desert, they 

 will have to be retained under timber 

 crops. In other words- the farmer 

 must arrange to employ fire for its le- 

 gitimate purpose, namely, clearing his 



