period. The Water and Forest Board has been entrusted with 

 the supervision and direction of the work of reconstructing 

 the forests, and for that purpose has set up a special Forest 

 Reconstitution Service. In each department which suffered 

 from invasion there has also been established, independent 

 of the usual forest inspections, a special so-called "Forest 

 Reconstitution Inspection", each with a special staff with 

 definite duties all relating to the restoration of State, parish 

 and privately-owned forests as well as to re-wooding. 



The work in the State forests is done entirely at public ex- 

 pense. In the case of the parish and private forests the French 

 parliament has set up a Fund, budgeted as "Forest Recon- 

 struction Works", upon which the parish and private owners 

 may draw for the means to re-establish their woods. These 

 funds enable the Forest Board to effect restoration works, in 

 agreement with the private owners, in the latter's forests, the 

 outlay eventually to be recouped, it is expected, out of the 

 indemnities received for war damages. 



The work of reconstruction is well started, as a personal 

 visit to some of the war-devastated areas disclosed. The 

 first steps taken involve clearing the land of wire-entangle- 

 ments, filling trenches, dug-outs, and mine craters, opening 

 up roads and paths and making it possible as well as safe for 

 the forest rangers to go about their task. Recutting of the 

 underwood spoilt by shrapnel and shot or improperly worked 

 by the friendly or enemy troops is another preliminary step. 

 Reserves damaged by projectiles but which may still be 

 utilizable are being cleared up and restored. 



Incidentally, a considerable amount of timber used for 

 defense works has been recovered and is being utilized for 

 new buildings. 



Nurseries have been established by the Forest Service 

 nearby the places where new planting is going on. Many 

 sources, including Canada, are being drawn upon for the 

 necessary seed. Delivery of plants and seeds has also been 

 claimed from Germany as compensation in kind. Restocking 

 is being carried on in accordance with a plan carefully elabor- 

 ated by the Forest Board with special reference to the mutual 

 adaptability of the soil to the seeds and with regard to ensuring 

 a maximum yield of timber in a minimum period. 



