328 A NATIONAL PLAN FOR AMERICAN FORESTRY 



in" of gullies, planting vines and herbaceous plants, will often be 

 needed where the brush and forest vegetation do not naturally reclothe 

 the area quickly enough to check the erosion. Considerable research 

 on such methods is needed, and on the most effective type of forest to 

 establish on the depleted soils, now incapable in many instances of 

 maintaining the original forest cover. 



WATERSHED-PROTECTION FORESTS IN OTHER 

 COUNTRIES 



In many countries "protection forests " are defined by law. They 

 are forests the main object of which is to help to prevent avalanches 

 and snowslides ; check or reduce soil erosion ; retard snow melt ; preserve 

 favorable conditions of run-off; stabilize shifting sands; protect other 

 forests or property from wind, or contribute to the national defense. 

 In short, the definition embraces all the many indirect benefits which 

 the forest exerts upon water, soil, and climate. 



Disastrous floods, silting of navigable channels, and destructive 

 soil erosion gave impetus to the development of forest policies in 

 numerous countries during the nineteenth century. It was readily 

 recognized that these evils were greatly aggravated by denudation 

 of forest lands in the mountains and along the streams. In Europe 

 policies of alienating public forests, which had been adopted folio whig 

 the French Revolution, were halted. Instead, the public began to 

 extend its ownership of forest lands, largely in the mountains, for the 

 purpose of restoring and protecting the forest cover. 



At the same time, governments began to impose restrictions upon 

 the management of privately owned forests, where their preservation 

 was deemed essential for protecting soil and water. As the years 

 have passed, more and more countries have adopted such restrictions, 

 until now the list includes practically all the countries of Europe, as 

 well as Japan and a few others. 



The scope of these restrictions varies widely, but in general the 

 laws require that classified protection forests, regardless of ownership, 

 be handled in such a manner that the forest cover will be maintained. 

 Clearing of the land is usually prohibited, and timber cutting and 

 grazing are generally subject to a greater or less degree of supervision 

 by public authorities. The reforestation of denuded land and con- 

 struction of engineering works to check or prevent erosion or control 

 torrents are commonly provided for, partly or wholly at public expense. 

 In Switzerland, for instance, more than $57,000,000 was spent on 

 stream control works between 1862 and 1923. Nearly one half of 

 this cost was borne by the Federal Government, and most of the 

 remainder by the cantonal governments. Similar policies have been 

 pursued by France, Italy, Austria, and Japan, as well as by other 

 countries. Either by cash payments or by reduction in taxes, many 

 of the countries reimburse the land owners, at least partially, for any 

 loss in income which they may suffer as a result of the restrictions. 



In case an owner is unwilling to retain his forest and manage it in 

 the manner prescribed, it is commonly provided that the public 

 shall buy him out. France and several other countries have a 

 definite policy of acquiring private forests and denuded, land in 

 mountain districts, for the purpose of safeguarding protective values. 

 Within the last few years very large-scale programs of public acquisi- 



