Early Development. 191 



of brush could only be done by permit and under a 

 force of watchers. 



The example of Zurich and Bern in organizing the 

 management of their forest areas was followed more 

 or less by other cantons, but a real serious movement 

 is not discernible until the beginning of the 19th 

 century, when with the impetus of modern life and 

 trade the value of forest property increased, and most 

 cantons issued regulative forest laws. 



Forest ordinances had from time to time attempted 

 to prevent the decrease of forest area by forbidding 

 clearings, regulating pasture, and forbidding wood 

 export to other villages or cantons, a local timber 

 famine being dreaded. But, only when a severe flood, 

 in 1830, had accentuated the protective value of forest 

 cover, were the forest ordinances more strenuously 

 enforced, and a general movement for better manage- 

 ment began in the various cantons. This was partly 

 signalized by sending young men to the forest schools 

 of Germany. 



Largely through the influence of a lively propa- 

 ganda carried on by such men as Landolt and Coaz, 

 backed by the Swiss forestry association, (founded in 

 1848), and through the increase of torrential floods, 

 especially in 1834 and 1868, was it made clear that 

 a central power would have to be clothed with au- 

 thority to regulate the use at least of the alpine forest. 



In 1857, the Bund ordered an investigation of the 

 mountain forests in all parts; this was made by Lan- 

 dolt. But opposition by the cantons against restric- 

 tive measures prevented any legislative result. At 

 the same time, an annual vote of $2,000 was made to 



