. Impressions of European forestry : letters written during a six months' visit to England and to the continent . Forests and forestry. Over-cutting on the mountain slopes in the French Alps runs back for centuries, but in- the years immediately following the French Revolution, when the old forest ordinances were thrown aside and lawr and order had not yet been re-established throughout France, indiscriminate cutting in the French Alps proceeded on an extensive scale and with what had been done earlier created conditions the evil results of which began soon to be felt. Especially troublesome b
. Impressions of European forestry : letters written during a six months' visit to England and to the continent . Forests and forestry. Over-cutting on the mountain slopes in the French Alps runs back for centuries, but in- the years immediately following the French Revolution, when the old forest ordinances were thrown aside and lawr and order had not yet been re-established throughout France, indiscriminate cutting in the French Alps proceeded on an extensive scale and with what had been done earlier created conditions the evil results of which began soon to be felt. Especially troublesome be- came the uncertainty in the flow of the streams. Floods alternated with periods of low water. Industries dependent upon water power were crippled, and nearer the sea even navigation was involved. A situation had been created that came near to being a national calamity. Especially may be mentioned the great floods in 1840 and 1856, because it was out of the damage wrought in these years that there finally came the organization of the control work on a comprehensive basis. Be- fore that time what had been done was largely local and sporadic. In 1860 and again 18 64 laws were passed dealing with reforestation in the mountains; but they failed to be effective, primarily because they provided that the mountain lands, mainly be- longing to the communes, could be taken over by the government without payment. It was not until 1882 that really satisfactory legislation was secured. This is the law in effect today. Its essential provisions are that the state may acquire by purchase or condemnation the areas where intensive work in reboisement is essential, but the lands so taken must be paid for. This per- mits the government to control the "key areas". For the remainder of the land with- in the project boundaries, an agreement is entered into between the state and the owner, usually a commune, whereby a subsidy 'is granted by the government, but only pro- vided that certain
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1920, booksubjectforests, bookyear1922
