Cutting timber was under the control of the superintendent of forestry. “Permits to out were granted only to actual settiers within fifty mites radius of the nearest reserve boundary line and only to those settlers with an insufficient supply on their own homestead. This must ali be of a specified quantity and type. Timber out without permits was seized by the rangers and double duties charged. If these were not paid the timber was sold at public auction. Only portable saw mills were ailowed, mill owners received permission to utilize tracts of timber, the trees to be cut must first be marked by rangers.”
Following the act of 1906 a general inventory of the Riding Mountain Reserve was made under the direction of J as. R. Dick- son, assistant inspector of forest reserves for Canada. Art Bicker— staff preserved one of the original copies of this survey.
Three excursions were made into the reserve, the first in the summer of 1906, starting at Dauphin under the charge of H. C. Wallwin. In spite of an extremely wet season with almost im- passable trails, 337 square miles were covered.
The following year, 1907, was even wetter. Under H. D. Ross a party entered the reserve west of McCreary and attempted to work toward Clear Lake. Progress was impossible; the group returned and chose for entry 21 point south of Kelwood.
“We managed to cover one hundred and seventy square 'miles in spite of difficult conditions. The terrain was hilly, miles of wagon road had to be cut and severai cordwood bridges were constructed. Added to our many vexations were millions of mosquitoes which retained their tenure from June to Septem- bet.”
The season of 1908 proved more successful. J. R. Dickson asSumed charge and led a party of eleven, starting at the village of Ochre River.
“We followed the Ochre River Trail to Clear Lake, a distance of about forty miles, working the trail on both sides. Lack of interior trails forced us to go west by way of the Galician settle- ment bordering the south side of the reserve, enter the Birdtail Valley, along Russell, Fisher and Gamble: trails.”
The party covered about six hundred and sixty square miles that season, mapping and studying as they surveyed, for a total of one thousand, one hundred and sixty-seven square miles for the three years.
The object of this three-year survey was “to learn the quantity of timber remaining; to map the existing trails, water courses
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