East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1909-12-06
PIONEER IN
FORESTRY CONSERVATION

Switzerland secognizes the benefit of
forest protection and development
| 500 years ago when the forest ordI-
nance of Bern was issued. The Sihl-
wald of Zurich, one of the most per-
: fectly managed and most profitable
forests in the world, has been handl-
ed under working plan since 1850.
The little Alpine republic still reports
progress in forest work, and the AM
erican cansul writing from ST. Call
says:
THE government of switzerland has
so carefully regulated the timber out
put that it has never been permitted
to exceed the natural growth. The
thick growth of timber on the noun
tain sides. purposely allowed to be-
come dense, has perceptibly lessened
the danger and frequency of avalan-
ches and landslides, which in former
times were so frightfully destructive.
To control the spring floods in the
rivers and streams, massive dams, for
titled by thickly planted trees, have
been erected at exposed places. In
the extraordinary attention paid to its
timber lands, the government has
taken into account also the necessity
for sheltering and pasturing cattle,
the maintenance of the soil, the roads,
and the natural springs, climate, and
the control of mountain streams.
The actual forest area of Switzer-
land comprises 2,2O5,5OS acres, 21.4S
per cent of the entire surface of the
the state and 2,12S,504 to the canton-,
Communes, municipalities, and private
corporations. Seven hundred and
eigthy-one acres of the state forest are
set aside as a nursery. From this
nursery in 1908 over $4,000, 900 young
trees We're taken and transplanted in
the various forests.
''Swiss forests are classed as pro-
tected' and 'non-protected. The for
mer are those which are situated on
mountain slopes where the imminence
of washouts, stone and ice chutes,
landslides and avalanches calls for the
constant exercise of extraordinary care
and attention. The 'non-protected
are those on comparatively level
ground requiring only ordinary atten-
tion to keep them in good condition
Because of the character of the coun-
try, the great majority of the forests
are protected
The law provides that the forest
area shall not be diminished and that
all forests shall be maintained in a
fairly dense condition. Even in pri-
vate forests close cutting or clearing
up is strictly forbidden, especially in
exposed places. without the consent
of the federal authorities, and then
only in small areas and when prompt
reforestration is guaranteed. Trees
for cutting are carefully selected by
forestry experts.
Through the forests there are ex-
cellent roads, made largely by the
cantonal authorities. The year 1908
was marked by such activity in road
construction that the state, which
bears a proportion of the expenses.
paid to the cantons the sum of $46,-
6S4.00 on their account alone.
Spruce is the most important tree
in the Swiss forests, and then in or
der of their Importance coine the
white fir, beech. larch. pine, sypress.
and few other varieties.
The principal revenue derived from
the Swiss forests is from the lumber
output there being no manufactures
of resin, turpentine, and similar by
products To offset the cutting, there