Szvedish Forest Conservation Lazv. 6i 



of woodlands have learned to use care, so that in V'armland no 

 large fire has been experienced in five years. Brush burning is 

 therefore here not practised, the tops being used for charcoal and 

 fuel generally. In other parts, more endangered, brush is burned 

 at an expense of about 28 cents per acre. The watch tower idea 

 was introduced 15 or 20 years ago in Jamtland, such towers being 

 distributed about 6 miles apart, and as a result since 1901 no large 

 fires have occurred. Incidentally, to show how the forest fires 

 have been reduced, it may be of interest to state that in 1888 the 

 area burned over in the State forests was estimated at 30,000 

 acres, and of private forest in four provinces at over 130,000 

 acres. In 1908 less than 500 acres were burned over in the State 

 forests of about 12 million acres extent. 



Although fires have not entirely been stopped, they have 

 become very much rarer and less extensive. Indeed, one is 

 struck along the railways with the absence of recently burned 

 areas. 



The funds to carry out the policy of conservation boards come 

 largely from a small duty on wood exports, namely 14 cents and 

 8 cents per ton respectively on dry chemical and mechanical pulp, 

 and half these amounts on wet pulp ; 7 cents per 100 cubic feet of 

 sawed material and half that amount on saw lags and fuel wood. 

 This is to be changed to a direct tax on all wood cut, except for 

 home consumption. The export duty yields altogether from 

 $160,000 to $190,000, or around 5 cents per 100 cubic feet of 

 export material. In addition, the State pays the salaries of the 

 experts, some $16,000, and contributions in proportion to what 

 the county gives. This contribution by the counties now amounts 

 to about $27,000, the State duplicating this, so that around 

 $230,000 are devoted to this policy of maintaining or securing 

 conservative management of privately owned forests which have 

 an extent of around 35 million acres, i. e. about 2/3 of a cent per 

 acre. 



The funds at the disposal of the various Boards vary, of course. 

 In Varmland and Jamtland, for example, the receipts aggregate 

 about $30,000, but by careful financial management and by not 

 using the whole appropriation the latter province reported for 

 1909 funds at its disposal of over $60,000. 



