CHAPTER VIII. 57 



Communal rights in forests, that is, the right of individuals in a 

 community to individually use the forest for personal benefit, is fatal 

 to the forests. 



This method of use involves in practice the lack of management. 

 Temporary and small personal advantage is the dominant factor in 

 such use. The general interest in regard to watersheds, renewal of 

 forest crop, etc., are necessarily not considered. The forests should 

 be used. The highest use will and does vary with location. In South- 

 ern California the highest use is in the preservation of the water- 

 sheds. 



The European communal use of forests has been disastrous to 

 both forests and communities. Our communal system has been equally 

 injurious, considering the time that It has prevailed. 



Pasturage on the forest lands, held in common by the communes 

 of France, has always been injurious to the forests. It has destroyed 

 the economic value in most cases, and has often resulted in their ab- 

 solute annihilation. 



An incident of this communal forest pasturage has been its rank 

 injustice. Use in common of the forests for pasture has the result 

 of throwing their use to the strongest and wealthiest members of 

 the communes. Of these wealthier members, it Is the more violent and 

 least conscientious who get the lion's share. Finally a few get the en- 

 tire advantage of communal forest uses. This use, however, has 

 proved to be a constantly diminishing quantity. In those districts of 

 Europe that are situated in a climate similar to ours, the end of these 

 methods has been: 



1st — The extinction of the forests. 



2d — The destruction of the mountain pasturage, after the forests 

 are gone; and 



3d and finally — The injury and frequent destruction of the valley 

 lands. 



This last is accomplished by the injury of the water supply, and by 

 torrent injury to the land. 



The French government has done a hard and constant work to re- 

 duce or expropriate these old rights. It has reforested extensive dis- 

 tricts, denuded and injured by improper policy, both in sandy districts 

 with drifting dunes and on mountain ranges from which the soil has 

 nearly all disappeared with the forests. There have been national, as 

 distinguished from communal, forests in France ever since the science 

 of forestry started in that country. The present forest laws in Europe, 



