Protective Forest Law. 325 



management and plantations. Finally, in 1875, a special 

 commission was charged with the elaboration of a general 

 order which, after years of hearing of testimony and de- 

 liberation, was promulgated in 1888, a comprehensive 

 law for the conseryation of forests, private and otherwise. 



The devastation and its evil consequences on water- 

 flow and soil conditions had been especially felt in the 

 southern districts adjoining the steppe, and these experi- 

 ences were the immediate cause for the enactment of 

 the law, which, however, was framed for the entire 

 European Russia. In its application it makes distinc- 

 tion of four regions. In the far northern governments, 

 densely forested (60%) and thinly populated, the pro- 

 tective forest idea alone applies. In the Caucasus also 

 none of the restrictions of private properly except in 

 protective and communal peasant forests apply, perhaps 

 because the forest area (averaging not over 17%) is 

 there largely owned by members of the imperial house 

 and by nobles. In certain districts adjoining the 

 northern zone (with 37% forest) also only the last two 

 types of forest, namely protective and communal prop- 

 erties, with institute forests added, are subject to the 

 provisions of the law. The rest, a territory of over one 

 million square miles with only 12% in forest, is subject 

 to all the provisions of the law which treats State, 

 imperial and private forests alike. 



This law establishes as "protective forests," to be 

 managed under special plans prescribed by the Crown 

 forest department, those which protect shifting sands 

 and dunes, the shores of rivers, canals and other waters ; 

 and those on the slopes of mountains, where they serve 

 to prevent erosion, landslides and avalanches. 



