628 Forestry Quarterly 



present time, is public forest land and is administered by the Forest 

 Service. 



It is this public forest land which is represented by the 245,612 

 square miles under the administration of the Forest Service. 

 As we tmderstand the term, it is all reserved land, in that it can- 

 not be withdrawn and put to any other use without the consent 

 of the Forest Service. The Indian term "reserved" applies, 

 however, only to the forest areas which have been brought under 

 definite, and, from our standpoint, intensive management. The 

 reserved forests cover only 96,297 square miles, a small propor- 

 tion of the total State forest. The rights of user, which are in- 

 evitable in a country like India, have been clearly recorded, have 

 been kept to a minimimi and in many instances have been com- 

 muted by cash payment. The increase in area of reserved forests 

 is very slow, only 1736 square miles since 1909. The additions 

 to reserved forest are chiefly in Burma, where more future addi- 

 tions may be expected. The great contrast in conditions in various 

 provinces in India is borne out by the deforestation since 1909 

 of 2237 square miles of forest in the Central Provinces where 

 timber is in great demand, and on the other hand, the existence 

 of so much forest land in Burma, a thousand miles away, that 

 even a paternal government thinks it hardly worth while yet to 

 reserve it. 



The policy in India with respect to deforesting reserved forests 

 may be stated thus: "that application of the soil must generally 

 be preferred which will support the largest numbers in proportion 

 to the area," therefore, as population increases these few forests 

 upon which permanent cultivation can be established without 

 harm to neighboring lands must disappear. Working plans are 

 in effect in reserved forests only. 



"Protected" forests rank after reserved forests. These are the 

 forests in which certain valuable trees only are under care and 

 protection by the Forest Service and in which villagers and others 

 may cut other species under permit from local forest officers. 

 Protected forests are not recognized in all provinces and cover 

 only 8390 square miles in the whole of India. They are usually 

 merely halted on the way to reservation until local rights of user 

 can be defined and settled or commuted or until arrangements 

 can be made to survey and care for them as reserved forests. 



The most important class from the standpoint of area are the 

 unclassed forests covering 140,925 square miles. 



