THE FOREST SITUATION IN FRANCE 



By R. C. Hall 



results of past policy 



French forest policy as developed in the past was more than justified 

 in the course of the World War. The allotment of approximately 18 

 per cent of the land area to timber production, the accumulation and 

 maintenance of ample growing stocks, the resulting permanence of 

 forest industries and protection to sources of water power, were 

 elements of great economic strength to France in the recent struggle. 

 These facts did not fail to impress the lumbermen and foresters of 

 the American Expeditionary Force, who for the first time in their 

 lives conducted logging operations in forests that have been systemat- 

 ically controlled by man for many generations on land which in the 

 United States would probably have been allowed to become barren 

 mountain slope or sandy waste. 



Ocean transportation was one of the decisive factors in the war. 

 The strain on Allied shipping was tremendous and any relief was of 

 greatest benefit. The forests of France not only met the needs of her 

 own armies, but also the bulk of the requirements of the Belgian, 

 British, and American forces. The total amount of timber they fur- 

 nished for war purposes is not known, but according to preliminary 

 French estimates is about 40 million cubic meters or ten billion board 

 feet. By obtaining timber supplies in France there was saved to the 

 American Expeditionary Force alone cargo space amounting to over 

 a million and one-half tons. The British Army produced in France 

 for themselves and for the French over 3,800,000 tons of forest prod- 

 ucts, besides what they obtained by purchase from contractors. 



The fuel situation became very serious in France during the latter 

 part of the war. Her best coal fields were in the hands of the Ger- 

 mans, and most of the coal obtainable had to be allotted to munition 

 factories and essential industries. Here again the forests played an 

 important part, and much suffering was avoided. For some years 

 before the war there had been, owing to the increased use of coal for 

 domestic purposes, an oversupply of fuelwood. In many coppice or 

 coppice-under-standard forests cutting had been abnormally retarded 

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