Burke, A. E. (1902) Forestry in Prince Edward Island. In Canadian Forestry Association publication reporting conference proceedings, pp. 82-84. Government Printing Bureau.

The fol/o wing article was presented as a paper at a conference of the Canadian Forestry Association in 1902. Alfred Burke, a Catholic priest who had a particular interest in matters relating to the economy of the island, was writing at the nadir in the story of the island 's forests. Lamenting the lack of foresight on the part of the island ’s pioneers and early governments that had led to the loss of its forest resources, he outlined wider environmental consequences that had resulted including the disruption of the water cycle and changes to the microclimate for agriculture. However, he also proposes a remedy for the problem: the establishment of a forestry commission that will initiate the preservation of the remaining woods and their improvement, as well as the expansion of the area of forest through the reafforesting of marginal agricultural land. Ironically, in the fol/o wing half century the island’s forested area was to expand considerably, but this was not due to any government sponsored si/vicu/tura/ programme but rather to widespread abandonment of farmland on the poorer soils especially in the east and west of the province.

REFERENCE: Clark, A. H. (1959) Three Centuries and the Island. University of Toronto Press.

Only within the last year or so is the sense of our great loss as a province from the

The ’033 0" almost total deprivation of our splendid forests forcing itself upon us irresistibly. Not

the forests. only are our fields often wind-swept, sunburnt, flooded in spring and parched in summer; not only are the purling springs dried up and the deep wells ungrateful, not only is life deprived of its healthfulness and pleasure; not only are the beauties of the green wood alternating with fruitful field and rippling rivulet passing away, but we are face to face with a wood famine which threatens us with permanency if something be at once not done to repair the ravages we have so thoughtlessly made on our forest. ’Forewarned is forearmed,’ and it is to be hoped that as this is a matter that comes home to all, all will bend their energies to repair the wrong the past has done, by protecting what is left of our woodlands, by allowing the wastelands to grow up again and by a vigorous campaign of provincial and private reafforestation.

Once a varied and One hundred years have sufficed to change our Island provnnce from a complete

beautiful forest. forest to one almost bare of trees, and that forest was indeed a most varied and beautiful one. Its flora comprised a large range of conifer and deciduous trees — The tree species. among others the fir; the black, red and white spruce; the stately hemlock; the red

and white pine; the larch and the cedar and the maple in four distinct varieties; the white, black, yellow and canoe birch; the wide—spreading beech; the elm; the ash in variety; the oak; the aspen, the cherry and many inferior species. The ax, the torch, man’s stupid cupidity and the government’s entire neglect have almost swept away this valuable heritage.

The problems When some ten years ago our most progressive citizens opened their eyes to the arising. conditions about them, and began sounding a note of warning as to the serious difficulties confronting the province because of the loss of its forest, many smiled incredulously and asked themselves a self—sufficient, 'What next?’ Up to this the general desire, and indeed the practice founded upon it, was to get rid of every tree in sight. Thank heaven there were some notable exceptions; but the policy was all

ZJQZ‘ZSS: too general; and today whole settlements may be visited where the farm buildings ' stand out bleak, bare and storm—beaten, without a single tree to protect, beautify or endear ~ not one along the roadside, the line fence, the out-places; possibly a bit of coppice on the rear of the half tilled farm, where the improvident holder still gathers

enough of sapling wood to sustain the kitchen stove in hard weather. Our forefathers’ Our forefathers, without distinction of nationality, and I suppose naturally enough for legacy. the pioneers of a new and wooded country, thought they could not too quickly

remove the forest. Their children accepted this short-sighted policy of their forbears

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