1014 A NATIONAL PLAN FOR AMERICAN FORESTRY 



lation of stream flow are not within the scope of this law, the area of 

 private forests affected is very small. 



A special law of 1893 applying only to the Maures and Esterel 

 regions of southeastern France restricts the right to use fire on one's 

 own land, and also provides that any owner can oblige his neighbors 

 to cooperate in maintaining a 20 to 50 meter firebreak along property 

 lines. 



Another law, passed in 1924, extends the restrictions of the 1893 

 law to a larger area (Departments of Var and Alpes Maritimes) and 

 provides for the classification by special commissions of districts 

 particularly exposed to fire hazard. If, within 1 year after such 

 classification, the forest owners within a district have not voluntarily 

 joined in a fire protective association, they may be compelled to do 

 so by decree of the Council of State. By 1926, approximately 270,000 

 hectares had been classified and 10 cooperative associations had been 

 organized. This same law provides that the prefect, upon recommenda- 

 tion of the forest service and the commission, may forbid grazing 

 for 1 years on burned-over land. 



Chestnut forests have been subject to special restrictions since 

 1928. An owner desiring to cut more than 20 trees (except coppice) 

 in 1 year must notify the prefect in advance, must replace each tree 

 that is cut by a new tree or a sprout within 2 years, and may not 

 pasture goats in plantations or sprout stands less than 3 years old. 



Optional control is provided in two laws. A law of July 2, 1913, 

 authorizes owners to contract with the forest service to manage their 

 forests under agreements which must run for at least 10 years. The 

 scope of control, to be agreed upon between the owner and the service, 

 may range from mere police protection to complete silvicultural 

 management. The owner is to pay a fee for this service. It has been 

 reported that the fees demanded by the forest service have been so 

 high that very few owners have taken advantage of the law. Another 

 law passed in 1930 provides for a reduction of the transfer tax on 

 forest lands on condition that they shall be managed according to a 

 working plan approved by the local office of the forest service. As 

 an alternative, if the forest is more than 50 hectares in area, the 

 owner must get the permission of the forest office before cutting, must 

 replant within 5 years if natural reproduction fails, and must also 

 prevent damage from grazing and wild game. These restrictions are 

 to be effective for at least 30 years after the transfer of ownership. 



ALGERIA 15 



Only 5 per cent of the Algerian forest is privately owned. The 

 laws relating to use of private forests are patterned closely after the 

 forest code of France. The forest service may forbid clearing (de- 

 forestation) where the preservation of the forest is necessary for the 

 protection of soil on mountains or slopes, prevention of erosion by 

 rivers or torrents, stabilization of streams, fixation of drifting sands, 

 national defense, or public health. Areas cleared without permission 

 of the forest service must be reforested within 3 years. If the owner 

 fails to do this, the service will do it at his expense. 



Brush-covered or denuded land which needs to be forested for the 

 same reasons may be declared to be of public utility and may be 



15 Loif orestiere relative a 1'Algerie, promulguee le 21 fevrier 1903, also supplementary decree of the Governor 

 General, dated Aug. 20, 1904, 



