as a protection against drifting sand, or against the lowering of the tree-
limit. After proper investigations, such forests have been set apart in
the Lans of Jamtland, Vasternorrland, and Kopparberg.1 The law
enjoins that timber-felling for other than domestic requirements may
take place only after a survey, which is made by the Forest Service, at
the cost of the State, when the owner of the forest is1 entitled to have
such a number of trees marked at once as is conformable with the re-
growth of the forest, and its permanent survival. Should it be necessary
to make great restrictions in the right of the owner to make use of the
forest, special regulations in the matter must be made; if the owner would
rather sell the forest than submit to such restrictions, the State can expropriate
the land. This last-mentioned regulation has not yet been put
into force.
The other private forests in Sweden are subject to the regulations of
the law dated July 24, 1903, respecting the care of private forests.
According to this law, in forests belonging to private persons, lumbering
must not be carried on in such a way, nor, subsequent to lumbering-
operations, may the ground be so treated, as to clearly endanger the regrowth
of the timber. I f there has bffen such mismanagement of the
forest, the guilty person is obliged to take the steps necessary to secure
re-growth. I f the lumbering rights have been made over by the owner
of the forest to another person, and the latter has been guilty of the above-
mentioned mismanagement, the owner is responsible for the necessary
restorative measures being taken. The burden of seeing that the law
in question is properly carried out rests on the Forest Conservation Board,
which must exist in every county council district where the law is in
force, and on the officials and inspectors of the said Forest Conservation
Board, as well as on the Forest Conservation Committees appointed by
communes affected.
The work of the Forest Conservation Boards is regulated in other respects
by the Royal Ordinance of July 24, 1903, respecting the Board
mentioned. Besides being entrusted with the task of seeing that the laws
dealing with the public forests are carried nut, the said Boards have also
to promote the proper economy of the private forests by spreading a
knowledge of forestry, by making grants in aid of, and carrying out, the
work of forest-culture, by supplying seed and plants, and by taking other
measures calculated to promote improved forest economy. In addition,
the said Boards are entrusted with the administration of the Forest Conservation
funds obtained from fees received in the course of their duties,
or in any other way.
The first Ordinance respecting Forest Conservation fees was issued on
July 24, 1903; it was altered in 1908 and 1910, and appeared in a
new form on October 11, 1912. These fees are calculated on the same
principles as those adopted for the forest-excise, but are fixed at an
1 In addition to a drift-sand field in the island of G-ottland.
amount equal to T3 % of the value of the standing timber. In the Lans
of Vâsterbotten and Norrbotten, in the parish of Sarna, and in the subparish
of Idre, no Forest Conservation fees are paid and the same districts
are not under the Forest Conservation Board.
The accompanying map shows the districts affected by the existing
forest-laws, viz., the “Lappmark” law, or the regulations governing the
private forests in Lappmarken and in the parish of S'ârna, with Idre subparish,
in Dalarne; the “protective forests” law; the “ dimension” law
the “Gottland and Oland” laiv, and the “public forests” law. In all the
districts affected there are public forests, for which special laws are in
force.
The Swedish Forest Service dates its origin from a Venery Service
established as early 'as the 16th century. The “ deer and bird huntsmen”
and the “ rangers and keepers” mentioned at a still earlier date did not
form a regular corps. The principal work, too, of the Venery Service, until
the beginning of the 19th century,, was connected with hunting, although
in the middle of the 17th century, some attention seems to have been
paid to forest economy. On behalf of forestry, however, the Venery
Service did not do very much, until, after the founding of the Institute
of Forestry in 1828, the officials were given an opportunity of gathering
special information respecting the science. After the institution of the
Board of Forestry in 1859, the head of the new department became the
head of the Forest-and Yenery Services as well.
For the purpose of uniting in one central department the administration,
not only of the forests but also of the landed property of the State,
the Forest Board was transformed in 1883 into the now-existing Crown
Lands Board, the head of which, consequently, is now the head of the
Forest Service, too. The task of this Board is, in the first place,
the care and administration of the public forests. The care and improvement
of game has become a matter of subordinate importance, although
it is still included among the tasks of the Forest Service. The titles of
the officials are Chief Foresters and Foresters (overjagmastare och jâg-
mastare).
According to the regulations which came into force at the beginning
of 1909, the Forest Service consists of 10 Chief Foresters and 90 Foresters.
The number of the latter officials has since been increased and, at the
close of 1913, amounted to 97. According to the same regulations, the
number of rangers (kronojagare) was increased to 417. The serviee-
territory under the superintendence of a chief forester is termed a district;
that of the forester is called a “revir”, and that of a ranger a “ guarding-
section”.
The assistant forest-officials consist of assistant foresters and assistant
rangers. The total number of assistant officials in the Forest Service
amounted at the close of 1913 to respectively 153 and 294, a good deal
of whom had other, private employment as well.