ESTABLISHMENT OF PERMANENT STATE FORESTS. 



151 



struggle between the contending parties was long, but ultimately 

 soimd views obtained the upper hand, and then more rapid 

 progress became possible. The area placed under the adminis- 

 tration of the Forest Department increased until it reached the 

 present area of 251,000 square miles. 



As soon as the Indian Forest Act of 1878 had been passed, the 

 Department set to work to establish a sufficient area of permanent 

 State forests, called " Reserved Forests " in the Act. As reserva- 

 tion has to be preceded by a forest settlement and accompanied 

 by the demarcation of the boundaries of the reserves, it represents 

 an immense amount of work, which even now has not yet been con- 

 cluded, as the following data will show. It has been stated above 

 that to meet the future requirements of forest produce, an area of 

 190,000 square miles of permanent State forests, equal to 18 per 

 cent, of the total area, should be established. The progress made in 

 that direction up to 1914 is shown in the subjoined statement : — 



Table showing the Progress made up to 1914 in the Selec- 

 tion OF Permanent State Forests. 



