Protective Forests. 163 



administration of the forest laws was most general. 

 The movement for reform and to secure a general law 

 for the empire controlling forest use dates from the 

 year 1814 ; but, only after the political reaction 

 of 1848, and when the severe floods of 1851 had 

 forcibly called attention to the unsatisfactory state 

 of things was the necessity of change recognized. 

 In 1852, such a general law was enacted, sup- 

 planting all the forest ordinances (with minor ex- 

 ceptions). 



This law, which in the main is still in force, dis- 

 tinguishes between ban forests and protective forests. 

 The former are such as require in their management 

 consideration of their protective value to adjoining 

 private or State property and personal safety, e.g., to 

 prevent landslides, snowslides, avalanches, etc. Pro- 

 tection forests are specially located forests which for 

 their own continuance as well as for that of neigh- 

 boring ones must be managed under special restric- 

 tions, e.g., on sand dunes, shores of waters, steep 

 slopes. The dangers which they are to prevent being 

 more of an indirect or hidden nature, and only pro- 

 duced by their mismanagement, the control also is 

 of a more general nature, the owner being allowed 

 to manage his property within general prescriptions, 

 while the ban forests are protective forests of a higher 

 order and are more strictly and more directly con- 

 trolled by the authorities. The declaration of a ban 

 forest and the prescription for the conservative 

 management depend on the findings of a commission 

 assisted by experts (since 1873). 



The execution of the law however, being left to 



6a 



