654 Forestry Quarterly 



Art. 3. The Government owned forests, in addition to those which have 

 been under the direct control of the Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce, 

 may be entrusted to the local oflficial organs for management. 



Art. 4. All Government owned forests falling under any of the following 

 classes must be under the direct control of the Ministry of Agriculture and 

 Commerce. 



1. Forests affecting the sources of rivers and streams. 



2. Forests situated within two or more provinces. 



3. Those which are connected with diplomatic cases. 



Art. 5. Should the Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce deem it abso- 

 lutely necessary for the development of Government owned forests, it may 

 purchase forests owned by the public or by individuals at an adequate price. 



CHAPTER II 



Reserved Forests 



Art. 6. Under any of the following conditions the Ministry of Agriculture 

 and Commerce or the local high administrative official may convert any 

 forests, whether owned by the Government, by the public or by an individual, 

 into a reserved forest : 



1. For protection against floods. 



2. For the maintenance of the source of streams. 



3. For public sanitation. 



4. For use as a landmark for navigation. 



5. For the convenience of fishing enterprises. 



6. As wind and sand breaks. 



Art. 7. When any public or private forest is converted into a reserved 

 forest, a petition may be sent to the Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce, 

 claiming any proper indemnity for the loss incurred. 



Art. 8. The procedure for the management and control of the reserved 

 forests, which have been entrusted by the Ministry of Agriculture and Com- 

 merce to local officials, shall be fixed by Instructional Mandates of the 

 President. 



Art. 9. Orders of reservation may be cancelled when the Ministry of Agri- 

 culture and Commerce or the local high administrative official no longer think 

 such reservation necessary. 



Art. 10. Without the permission of the local officials, no one shall be per- 

 mitted to fell trees in reserved forests and no combustible material may be 

 brought into such forests. 



Art. 11. The provisions of Articles 7, 8 and 10 shall also apply to forests 

 hallowed by ancient traditions or containing renowned scenery. 



CHAPTER III 



Encouragement 



Art. 12. Should any individual or individuals wish to apply for any idle 

 Government-owned hill-land for the purposes of growing forests, the land 

 applied for shall be granted without charge. Such applicant must be a citizen 

 of the Chinese Republic. 



Art. 13. The idle Government hill-land applied for for reforestation shall 

 not exceed an area of 100 square li. When the applicant's operations have 

 extended over this entire area, he may apply for an additional area. 



Art. 14. The applicant for such idle Government-owned hill-land shall 

 deposit as cash security an amount between $20.00 and $100.00 for every ten 

 square li, the exact amount being fixed by the Ministry of Agriculture and 

 Commerce, or the local chief administrative official. For this purpose an area 

 of less than 10 square li shall be reckoned as equal to 10 square li. If, after a 

 period of five years has elapsed, the local controlling official should find that 

 the enterprise has succeeded, the cash security may be returned to the appli- 

 cant, together with interest com.puted at between 3 and 5 per cent. 



