Canadian Forestry Journal, March, igso 



sion on which local interests are 

 represented and the boundaries of 

 the area within which remedial works 

 were large, and the formation of 

 revenue bearing forests was an in- 

 tegral part of the scheme. Now an 

 effort is made to restrict to a mini- 

 mum the area upon which works are 

 conducted, and on this restricted area 

 to undertake intensive work, not only 

 plantations to fix the soil and check 

 the run-off, but also engineering- 

 works to break the descent of the 

 water and support the banks and 

 beds of the torrent. Large areas of 

 forest are being established in the 

 lower Cevennes. 



The works conducted by the State 

 are carried on only on land belonging 

 in fee simple to the State. Should 

 there be within the area necessary for 

 ,the control of a stream and owned by 

 bodies and persons other than the 

 State, one of two courses is adopted. 



Taking Private Lands. 



The State may buy or expropriate 

 the necessary land. The right of ex- 

 propriation is rarely exercised. The 

 State acquires by friendly agreement 

 the land on all streams where the 

 public interest in the control of the 

 stream is paramount. 



The owner of the land, whether a 

 private individual or a community, 

 may retain the property upon condi- 

 tion that an agreement is made to 

 conduct within a term of years fixed 

 by the Forest Service under the 

 supervision of the Forest Service the 

 improvement works necessary. Com- 

 munities usually avail themselves of 

 this privilege, and in such cases both 

 the State and the departments in 

 which the community is situated 

 make money grants equal together on 

 the average of one-half or two-thirds 

 of the cost of the work. The State 

 also assists with advice, and in the 

 case of reforestation with seed and 

 plants. 



The law also names certain moun- 

 tain communities in which, because 

 of their important effects on stream 

 flow, pasture lands must be treated 

 according to conservative regulations 



in order to prevent destruction of the 

 sod cover by over-grazing. Any 

 ordered management of mountain 

 pastures has been strenuously op- 

 posed by the mountain population, 

 even thought the object of all sucli 

 regulation of use is the improvement 

 of the pasture. Money grants have 

 been made by the State, and assist- 

 ance has been given freely in all 

 cases where private individuals or 

 communities have shown a disposi- 

 tion to protect mountain pastures. 

 Nevertheless, the opposition still p r- 

 sists. A commission was appointed 

 in 1910 to study better means of im- 

 proving conditions and amendments 

 to the law were under consideration 

 at the outbreak of war. 



Developing Specialists. 



The French Forest Service in vigor- 

 ously taking up the responsibility 

 placed on it by the law of 1882 has 

 led the world in works for torrent 

 control. Foresters and engineers have 

 co-operated in checking the destruc- 

 tive headlong plunge of waters from 

 the Alps, Cevennes and Pyrenees. 

 Half a century of experience, dating 

 from the earlier laws, has led to the 

 growth in the Forest Service of 

 specialists in stream control, who 

 have developed several well-defined 

 methods of accomplishing their ob- 

 ject. 



The reforestation of the catchment 

 areas of the torrential streams and 

 their tributaries was in the early 

 years, the only means adapted for 

 the control of water-flow. Even now, 

 although in certain conditions it has 

 been found necessary to rely on en- 

 gineering works reforestation remains 

 the greatse weapon in the hands of 

 the Forest Service. The catchment 

 areas have been re-clothed extensively 

 by planting and seeding, both with 

 broad leaves and conifers. It has been 

 found that, except in the few situ- 

 ations where conditions are ver)^ 

 favorable for forest growth, planting 

 is much more satisfactory and even 

 more economical when results are 

 considered. Nurseries have been 

 started near all the large projects. 



