Forest law

“ Lands examines and classifies lands in the Forests to determine their value for forest purposes, conducts the work in connection with claims on the Forests prior to proceedings before United States registers and receivers, and assists the Chief Engineer of the Service in handling matters in connection with the occupation and use of the National Forest lands for hydro-electric power purposes. The Branch of Silviculture supervises the sale and cutting of timber on the National Forests and coöperates with States in protecting forest lands under Section 2 of the Weeks Law. ”

“ The competent authorities of forestry of people's governments at or above the county level may , in light of local actual circumstances, formulate special plans in relation to the protection and utilization of forest lands, afforestation and land greening, forest management, protection of natural forests. ”

“ The forests are to be divided into protection and non-protection forests (by the cantons with sanction of the Bund) , the former being such as are located at headwaters or furnish protection against snowslides, landslides and rockfalls, floods, and climatic damage. Most of this segregation had already been made and mapped in consequence of the law of 1876. In 1904, 71% of the total forest area had been classed as protective forest; nearly 80% of the communal, and over 50% of the private forest property. ”

“ The seventh branch has to do with the study, selection, and acquisition of lands under the Weeks law, in accordance with which eight million dollars was appropriated for the purchase of forest lands valuable for stream protection, with particular reference to the Southern Appalachians and the White Mountains of New England. The examination of the amount of merchantable timber on lands under consideration for purchase, the study of the character of the land and the forest, and the survey of the land keep a numerous body of young men very fully occupied. ”

“ The State shall protect forest lands, strictly control the conversion of forest lands to non-forest lands, exercise control over the total amount of forest land occupation, so as to ensure that the amount of forest lands is not to decline. The forest lands occupied by various construction projects shall not exceed the quota of total amount of forest land occupation control in the administrative area. ”

“ This Law is enacted for the purposes of implementing the ideal that lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets, protecting, cultivating, and rationally utilizing forest resources, accelerating land greening, safeguarding forest ecological security, constructing ecological civilization, and achieving the harmonious coexistence of human and nature. ”

“ The State shall establish natural reserve system with national parks as its main body in typical forest ecological regions, forest regions wherein rare and precious animals and plants grow and breed, natural tropical rain forest regions and other natural forest regions with special values of protection in different natural zones, so as to strengthen protection and management. ”

“ The felling of woods in nature reserves shall be prohibited. An exception is made for woods that must be felled because of special circumstances such as prevention and control of forest pests, forest fire prevention, maintenance of the living environment of main protected objects, and under natural disasters, and for bamboo forests that are located in experimental zones. ”

“ The coöperation of the Federal Government, under a provision of the Weeks Law which appropriates small sums of money for forest protection, provided the state will appropriate an equal or greater amount, has done much to encourage the establishment of systems of forest protection in many of the states. ”

“ The State shall strengthen the protection of forest resources and exert the various functions of forests such as water and soil conservation, climate regulation, environmental improvement, biodiversity conservation, and forest products supply. ”

“ Forest Laws, laws enacted in ancient times for the purpose of guarding the royal forest lands as hunting preserves, and which were up to the time of Henry III. of excessive harshness, death being a not infrequent penalty for infringement. ”

“ We are all concerned in many ways in the welfare of the forests. Whether we own any forest land or not, we are affected by the way in which the trees are managed. Because we are all dependent more or less upon the forests, they should be regarded as the property of us all, just as the air and water are. ”

“ Had I my way, I would mark out a circle of a hundred miles in diameter, and throw around it the protecting aegis of the constitution. I would make it a forest forever. It should be a misdemeanor to chop down a tree, and a felony to clear an acre within its boundaries. The old woods should stand here always as God made them, growing on until the earthworm ate away their roots, and the strong winds hurled them to the ground, and new woods should be permitted to supply the place of the old so long as the earth remained. ”

“ Much has already been done to protect our forests. Of the 191 million acres of National Forest, 34 million have been set aside as part of the wilderness preservation system, a system that safeguards wilderness for future use and enjoyment. National Forests include more than 4,300 miles of designated segments of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers Systems. ”

“ That from and after the said 5th day of July, 1820, all right of keeping Deer, and all other Forestal rights and Privileges whatsoever, either of His Majesty, or of those holding any Office or Offices under the Crown, within, upon, and over, the said Forest, shall cease, determine, and be for ever extinguished; and the whole of the said Forest shall be thenceforth disafforested to all intents and purposes whatsoever. ”

“ In some districts the owner of a forest may not cut a tree unless it has been approved by the Government forester. This is to ensure that the forests are maintained as a protection for the villages in the valleys below. ”

“ In natural areas, old trees and surrounding vegetation are subject only to minimum management so that visitors may read living history as written on the land. In wilderness and wild areas, timber cutting is not allowed. Those primitive lands, 141⁄2 million acres in all, have been dedicated by the Forest Service to wilderness use and are protected in their natural state for those who enjoy extensive foot or horseback travel in serenity and solitude.
Each forest resource and each of the many uses of resources is needed in the pattern of a growing Nation. ”

“ The rich soil of the valleys was almost undisturbed. The forests were uncut save for an occasional tree used in making a canoe or a rude cabin. The forests suffered only at the hands of the insects, storms, and fires. The flowers that covered the ground in spring went ungathered. The vast grassy prairies were disturbed only by the feeding of such animals as the buffalo, elk, deer, and antelope.
A single great forest spread over all the mountains and valleys of the eastern part of our country. ”

“ Is it too much to hope that before the close of another decade every state and territory will have a school of forestry, and that all national forest domains will have been brought under rational supervision and control? ”

“ Yet a growing population increased the need for farm land, and since intensive use of the existing farm area was not attempted until the end of the 18th century, the forest had to yield still further.
3. Methods of Restriction in Forest Use.
All ordinances issued by the princes to regulate the management of their properties contain the prescription, that permission of the Landesherr is necessary for clearings, and that abandoned fields growing up to wood are to be kept as woodland; this partly for timber needs, partly for considerations of the chase. ”

“ In order to protect these trees, the government has set aside certain forest preserves which are called National Forests. There are 152 National Forests in the United States. Each of these National Forests has a supervisor in charge. He has under him wardens, rangers and lookouts. These men all work to detect and suppress fires.”
“That is a large organization,” said Bill. “Why are so many men needed?”
“The forests in the United States cover a large area,” replied Cecil. “About twenty-nine per cent of the land area of the United States is covered with timber. ”

“ Today, the National Forest System comprises more than 190 million acres of forests and grasslands, a priceless remnant of the great wilderness that once stretched across our country. Whether sustaining ecosystems, supplying water, providing lumber, or offering recreation, these precious areas benefit millions of Americans. ”

“ For these reasons the people of Europe determined to guard their forests well, and to aid nature, if possible, in becoming still more useful to man. To this end they made a careful study of the life history of the forest, and investigated the requirements of the [Pg 144] trees and their rates of growth under varying conditions of soil, heat, light, and moisture. They also studied the numerous dangers to which the forest is exposed, and invented means and established laws for its protection. ”

“ About 23,000 square miles are still counted as forested, and in some limited areas one may still find considerable virgin forest. A state forestry commission is now operative, and active measures are being taken to restore and more carefully preserve the forests. ”

“ Much of this was cut-over and so severely burned before the creation of the forests that it bears no tree growth. Some of these lands will reseed themselves naturally while other areas have to be seeded or planted by hand. In this way the lands that will produce profitable trees are fitted to support forest cover. Because the soils and climate of our National Forests are different, special experiments have been carried on in different places to decide the best practices to follow. ”

“ These rights and privileges consist for the most part of rights of way, rights to extract definite quantities of forest produce, rights of grazing fixed numbers of cattle. Subject to the rights and privileges specified in the notification, a reserved forest is the exclusive property of the State and is strictly protected from injury and trespass. The extraction of timber, principally teak, from reserves is regulated by elaborate working plans which provide for the exploitation of the forests by compartments and for due reproduction, so as to ensure a permanent supply. ”

“ Silvics, which may be said to be the knowledge of how trees behave in health and disease toward each other, and toward light, [Pg 67] heat, moisture, and the soil, is the foundation of forestry and the Forester's first task is to bring himself to a high point of efficiency in observing and interpreting these facts of the forest, and to keep himself there. It should be as hard work to walk through the forest, and see what is there to be seen, as to wrestle with the most difficult problem of mathematics. ”

“ The Western Forestry and Conservation Association believes it can render no more practical service than by being the first to outline for public use definite workable methods of forest management applicable to western conditions. ”

“ They are surrounded, in general, by a good deal of land, from which the wood seems to have been long extirpated, and have, besides, attached to them, extensive tracts of forest. The cleared land is rarely, I may almost say never, cultivated, nor are any inroads made in the forest for such a purpose. ”

“ Nothing but forests will hold the rainfall, to release it slowly through a thousand rivulets and springs that are the source of countless rivers. With the forest cut or burned off these streams are dry most of the summer and raging torrents for a few weeks in the spring, washing out all the priceless accumulation of the ages which the forest has conserved for its own and our benefit. While the reservation of these great national forests has worked individual hardship, experience for many years back in India and Germany shows Federal ownership or control the only wise policy. ”

“ In the higher mountains, fir and spruce with some pine and larch form the forest; but broadleaf forest, especially [325] oak and beech is the prevailing type occupying the middle altitudes and the hill country. The private forest of small owners is being rapidly depleted, only the State forest and that of large proprietors being in good condition. ”

“ Much valuable forest-land remains, in spite of the large tracts which have been cleared. Scientific protection and increase of forests are encouraged by a state-forester and the Yale school of forestry. ”

“ Maps and Legal Description— (1) FILING AND AVAILABILITY— As soon as practicable after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Agriculture, acting through the Chief of the Forest Service, shall file with the Committee on Natural Resources of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources of the Senate a map and legal description of each wilderness area designated or expanded by subsection (a) . ”

“ Forests which now seem entirely unrelated will be seen to possess the most intimate developmental connection, and the fuller insight into the life history gained in this way will have a direct bearing upon methods of conservation, etc. It will further show that the forester must know other vegetations as well, since grassland and thicket formations have an intimate influence upon the course of the succession, as well as upon the advance of a forest frontier. ”