Norway regards her forest possessions as of the utmost im- 

 portance and spares neither money nor effort to keep them in 

 a state of constant production. Her national vitality depends 

 upon them. 



Norway's natural resources are strictly limited in extent. 

 The supply of timber ranks among the first and most impor- 

 tant. It furnishes the main source of Norway's export trade 

 and provides fuel, building material and other wood necessi- 

 ties for home consumption. One-sixth of Norway's labourers 

 find their employment in the wood-refining industries; one- 

 tenth in the paper industry. Norwegian railways derive more 

 than 12 per cent, of their total traffic revenues from the pulp- 

 wood, cellulose and paper industries; some of the railways 

 depend almost exclusively upon the revenues so derived. 

 Appreciation of these facts has not only led Norway to the 

 adoption of a policy of strict conservation of her remaining 

 forests, but also to employ all available means for the building 

 up of a forest supply for the future. To-day the country is 

 not forest self-sustaining and is obliged to import considerable 

 quantities of wood from Finland. Formerly wood was also 

 freely imported from Russia. 



The productive timber lands of Norway consist of about 

 21,825 square miles, of which 11,500 are held by peasants and 

 other small owners, 5,575 by incorporated companies, and 

 4,750 by the State, the latter including communal lands, parish 

 and other endowments. The tendency at present is to dis- 

 courage the further acquisition of forest lands by private 

 owners. Incorporated companies are, in fact, debarred by 

 law from increasing their holdings by purchasing lands from 

 peasants and other individual holders. Wherever possible 

 and practicable the State is resuming ownership of these lands 

 and using them to build up new forests. 



Private ownership in the past, before the State established 

 control of the forests, was charged with wasteful methods and 

 irresponsible care, resulting in depleted and sterile forest 

 lands. These practices are what led to the present national 

 forest policy. The private owners of to-day, however, need 

 no restrictive laws to compel them to do their duty by their 

 forests. They have long since learned their lesson. The forest 

 lands owned by the incorporated companies in Norway are 



