1024 A NATIONAL PLAN FOR AMERICAN FORESTRY 



hygienic reasons or for the national defense are also to be classified as 

 protected forests when requested by the provinces, communes, inter- 

 ested private parties, or the appropriate Government departments. 

 Such forests may not be cleared. Those benefiting from restrictions 

 on the use of such forests must indemnify the owners for any loss of 

 revenue that they may sustain by reason of the restriction. 



The state, through the Ministers of National Economy and Public 

 Works, can select watersheds needing control work (reforestation or 

 engineering) and carry out such work; the owner is to be indemnified 

 for any loss of income. After the work is completed the land is to 

 be returned to the owner, but will remain subject to restrictions on 

 its use. Land that has been reforested must be kept in forest and 

 handled in accordance with an approved management plan, and 

 may not be grazed until the young growth is beyond the risk of 

 danger. In case the owner is unwilling to accept these restrictions 

 the state is authorized to buy the land. The owners themselves may 

 carry out the necessary control work, on the basis of an approved plan, 

 and may be reimbursed by the State for their expenditures. The 

 forest service, provinces, or communes may also temporarily or per- 

 manently expropriate lands within the protected zones, in order to 

 afforest them, improve existing forests, or stabilize dunes. 



Associations may be formed for the reforestation of protected areas. 

 If such an association represents four-fifths of the area to be reforested, 

 it may expropriate the lands of remaining owners who are unwilling 

 to join. These owners must be bought out if they demand it. 



Any owner afforesting brush, grass, or denuded land under the 

 supervision of the forest authorities is entitled to certain tax exemp- 

 tions, and if it is in a protected area the State will provide free tech- 

 nical supervision, free seed or plants, and will pay up to two thirds 

 of the cost of the work. 



JAPAN 33 



The maintenance of a forest cover in the mountains is especially 

 important in Japan, because of the steep topography, with soils and 

 rock particularly susceptible to erosion, and the heavy rainfall. 

 Regular flow of the rivers is desirable because of their extensive use 

 for power and irrigation. Forty percent of the forest is privately 

 owned. 



The local governor may prescribe the method of working (including 



fathering of litter, etc.) in private forests which are threatened with 

 estruction, and may stop operations and order the reforestation of 

 cut-over areas where such instructions are not complied with. He 

 may also order the reforestation of land denuded before the law was 

 passed. If the owner fails to plant when ordered to do so, it is to 

 be done at his expense by public agencies. 



It is forbidden to burn over forest or wild land without a permit 

 and without prior notice to owners or managers of neighboring forests. 

 Owners must combat insect outbreaks. 



Protection forests are to be classified by the competent Minister 

 in accordance with the recommendations of the local forest com- 

 mission, upon application of a municipality, a local authority, or 

 other directly interested party. These are forests which are neces- 



33 Forest Act of Japan. Act 43, Apr. 23, 1907, revised by Act 75, June 1911. Department of Forestry, 

 Tokyo, 1926. 



