Ban Forests. 191 



die of the 18th centun' they were as general and afforded 

 as great a hindrance to forest management as in Ger- 

 many. The ordinance of 1669 also provided for the ex- 

 tinction of these rights, apparently -without much suc- 

 cess, and the troublesome times after 1789 increased 

 their number. Only when the orde rly regim e following v^ 

 the reign of Napoleon gave rise to the Code Forestier 

 (1827) was a systematic attempt for their extinguish- 

 ment by the cession of territory and cash payment begun, 

 and by this time the extinction may be considered prac- 

 tically concluded, at least for the state and communal 

 property. 



2. Development of Forest Policy. 



As in Germany, the king, in addition to the ban and 

 in addition to the rights of ownership to certain forest 

 properties, had early asserted a superior right of the state 

 to restrict the exercise of private property rights. Espe- 

 cially on land located in proximity to the royal 

 woods, was the management of private property placed 

 under supervision. 



Ordinances like those issued by the German princes 

 regulated the use of forests in France during the 12th to 

 17th century; the first ordinance on record being issued 

 by Louis VI (1215). These ordinances usually ap- 

 peared under the name Le fait des eaux et forets (the 

 matters of waters and woods). The latter term was 

 used exactly like that of the Grerman Forst, designating 

 the reserved territory under the ban, while hois is used 

 to designate actual woodland (sUva). 



The royal forests were early placed \mder an adminis- 

 tration, the principal officers of which were the grand 



