240 LAWS BEGULATING BEBOISBMENT. 



report and a projet de loi were prepared by the Director-General of Forests 

 in 1845. This projet de loi, remitted for examination to a Commission 

 composed of forest administrators and distinguished savants, was amended 

 in many parts and submitted to the Chamber of Deputies in the session 

 1847." But, he adds, nothing came of this law. 



This law, M. C&anne alleges, became abortive, through its being too radical 

 in its enactments.; it subjected to the forest regime all lands on which were 

 to be effected the reproduction of forests or of pasture lands. With the 

 law of 1860 it was different. The law of 1860, it is stated by him, limited 

 the action of the Government to the rehoisement, strictly so-called, and to 

 this in p6rimfetres, or specified areas, embracing only portions of the 

 country at large and of the localities, and it provided for the proceedings 

 being carried on principally by subventions to the proprietors themselves, 

 in the form of money grants, or of the grant and delivery of seeds and of 

 plants. There was required the sanction or approval of the Council of the 

 Arrondissement and of the General Council of the district, and, in fine, 

 that of a mixed Commission, composed of the prefect, of members of the 

 General Council, and of the Council of the Arrondissement, — of an Ingmieur 

 des Fonts et Chaussies, — of an official of the forest service, — and of two 

 landed proprietors : and only after these had been obtained could be 

 obtained a decree to determine the extent of the p6rimfetre, or specified 

 area given up to the Forest Administration for rehoisement. Art. 4 

 provided, indeed, that recourse might be had to expropriation, but only in 

 cases in which this is required in the interests of the community in con- 

 sequence of the condition of the soil, and the dangers resulting from this to 

 the lower-lying grounds. And Art. 5 increased the number formalities of 

 which had to be observed before anything could be done by the State in 

 carrying out the works ; it required, besides a public enquiry, the judgment 

 of the Municipal Council. 



The law prescribed the course to be followed in regard to proprietors and 

 to communes, property belonging to whom might be included in p6rim6tres, 

 and who either could not or would not execute the works themselves ; the 

 law determined, also, in what cases it was competent to the State to make 

 pecuniary advances in aid of the works, and to what extent the State 

 should in such cases participate in the benefits resulting from the operation. 



The Minister of State estimated at that time the total area of lands 

 susceptible of rehoisement at 1,133,000 hectares; and the Commissioners 

 calculated, from data supplied by work done, that it would cost upon an 

 average 180 francs per hectare to do the work ; and they estimated that, 

 making allowance for what portion of the expense might be met by pro- 

 prietors and communes, 80,000 hectares might be replanted by means of 

 the eredit of ten millions, decreed by the Govenunent for the prosecution 

 of the work. 



This credit was spread over a period of ten years, and was designed to 

 be, to the extent of five millions, covered by the sale of forest lands ; while 

 the remaining five millions were to be met by extra fellings, and by the 

 ordinary resources of the Government. 



At this rate it was reckoned that it would take 140 years to .complete 

 the rehoisement of the mountains ; and it was considered that this was not 

 an unreasonable time to be required to undo the work of twenty centuries ; 

 but it was arranged that the first eftects should- be directed towards the 

 points which were most threatened ; and this has been done, 



