Protective Forest Law. 225 
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 conservation 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 property 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. 
