139 



Works undertaken by the State. The proposal to take up ground for this 

 purpose emanates from the forest department, and is followed by a formal 

 inquiry, under the direction of the prefect, into the circumstances of the case, 

 regarding which a special commission, with a forest officer as one of its members, 

 makes a 'report. If the proposal is approved, a law is passed declaring the work 

 to be one of public utility, and under it the ground with all existing rights, either 

 of the proprietor or other persons in it, is bought by the State, either by mutual 

 agreement or by expropriation. The area is then under the forest law, and the 

 works are undertaken at the public cost. 



Works undertaken by the proprietors. If, however, the proprietors, who 

 are for the most part village communities, do not desire to part with the land 

 they must, before the expropriation has been ordered, agree to execute the 

 specified works themselves, within a fixed time, and to maintain them, under the 

 control of the forest department. In some cases, but not always, pecuniary aid 

 is then afforded to them. If the proprietors of land outside the areas which are 

 taken up for treatment as works of public utility, desire to undertake measures 

 for the consolidation of the soil, or for the improvement of their pastures, they 

 can obtain assistance from the State in the way of money, seeds, plants, or of 

 work done for them ; but when any such aid is afforded, the operations are 

 under the surveillance of the forest department, and in certain cases the money 

 so advanced has to be refunded. 



Preventive measures. When the condition of the ground is not such as to 

 warrant its being dealt with in the above manner, it may, after the same 

 preliminary formalities as before, be closed against grazing for any period not 

 exceeding ten years, in which case compensation is paid annually to the proprie- 

 tors for their loss of the use of it. During this interval the State has the power 

 to execute works, in order to promote the more rapid consolidation of the soil, 

 but the nature of the property cannot be changed thereby, and the proprietor 

 cannot be called upon to pay anything for the improvements thus effected ; while 

 if, after the lapse of ten years, it is found necessary to continue the exclusion of 

 cattle, the State must buy the land either by mutual agreement or by expro- 

 priation. 



But none of the measures above described would deal effectually with the 

 situation unless the source of the evil were at the same time attacked, by bringing 

 the pastoral arrangements on the neighboring hills under control, so as to avoid 

 over-grazing; and the law therefore provides that in 313 village communities, all 

 those in which works are undertaken being included, as well as many others, the 

 grazing must be carried out in the manner approved by the forest department. 

 The communes are therefore obliged to submit to the prefect annual proposals on 

 this subject, showing the nature and extent of their pasture lands, the portions 

 that they propose to use during the year, the number of animals of each kind 

 that are to graze, the roads by which they are to reach and return from the 

 pastures and other matters. These proposals are considered by the forest 

 department, and modified if necessary. In addition to this, with a view to 

 encourage the pastoral population of the mountains to take care of their grazing 

 grounds, and to put a stop to abuses resulting from ignorance and from the 

 continuance of injurious customs, the forest department is empowered to grant 

 money rewards to fruiteres (associations of cattle-owners for the manufacture of 

 cheese) for improvement made by them to their pastures. It is also desired to 

 encourage, as far as possible, the substitution of cows for sheep ; but the popula- 

 tion of the mountains does not like the afforestation of their grazing grounds, 

 and the principal reason for the offer of rewards by'the State is that it is con- 



