312 Norway. 



neglected by their owners, are cheaply acquired by 

 the State. Besides its own planting, the State assists 

 private owners by advice and money grants and 

 plantmaterial in reforesting their waste lands. 



The communal forests are under government 

 supervision ; they are usually worked under plans and 

 under supervision of foresters with a view to supply 

 the needs of the community. Only when the area 

 is more than sufficient may they obtain the right to 

 cut for sale outside of their parish ; on the other hand 

 all fellings may be prohibited by the government, if 

 this is found desirable. As regards private property 

 there seems to be little or no supervision, although 

 the law of 1863 had declared Kultur plight and Kultiir- 

 tvank, i.e., the duty of reforesting, but it had not de- 

 fined that duty, and the law remained a dead letter. 



In 1874, a special commission was charged to con- 

 sider the forest policy which the public welfare re- 

 quired. The commission reported in 1879 with pro- 

 positions, which were submitted to the officials of 

 the department and the district. A new proposition 

 was worked out and submitted in 1882, but it was 

 pigeonholed until 1891, when the forest administra- 

 tion brought in not a general law but one merely for- 

 bidding the export from Nordland, Tromsoe and 

 Finmarken, the thinly forested northern provinces. 



Finally, in 1893, legislation was had enabling muni- 

 cipalities to protect themselves against destruction 

 of forests needed for their protective function. This 

 gives to them the right to formulate rules which are 

 to prevent devastation, as for instance a diameter 

 limit for felling, or reforestation of clearings. But 



