Code Forestier. 195 



The law of 1791 removed all restraint and thereby 

 inaugurated a most disastrous destruction and devasta- 

 tion against which legislative attempts of the republi- 

 can government were entirely powerless. In 1801 Na-i^ 

 poleon reorganized the service, with five administrators, 

 30 conservators, 200 inspectors and 8,600 inferior offi- 

 cers. At that time it appears that the revenue from the 

 public forest domain amounted to $6,000,000, a sum 

 justifying such elaborate organization. But otherwise 

 the methods of Colbert's ordinance were revived. 



In 1822 again a commission composed of foresters 

 was instituted to revise the ordinance of 1669 which, 

 here and there modified, had continued to be valid, ex- 

 cept during the revolutionary period. The result of 

 the work of this commission was the Code Forestier 

 (1827) which is the law of the present day. In it prin- 

 ciples are laid down under which the state, communal 

 and other public forests are to be managed. 



All forests submitted to the regime forestier, namely, 

 the state and communal forests, are entirely managed 

 by the state forest administration, the communities or 

 other pubKc forest owners paying for the service not to 

 exceed 20 cents per acre, or 5 per cent, of the revenue. 

 All jurisdiction and execution of forestry laws is in the 

 hands of the officials of the Forest Administration. 

 The foresters of the state have the exclusive responsibil- 

 ity of making and executing working plans, without 

 interference by the municipalities after the plans have 

 once been submitted and approved by them. The cor- 

 porations have not even the right to appoint their own 

 guards, all such being appointed by the prefects of the 

 departments upon recommendation by the forest depart- 

 ment. 



