In 1910, a special reboisement service, the Servicio Hidrological Forestal, was also placed on a new footing, the country being divided into ten districts for this purpose, and an engineer placed in charge of each. But from a statement that, in 1910, of some 300,000 acres planned to be recovered only 31,000 had been completed it may be inferred that financial difficulties still retard the work.
Private forests, which had been without any interference, were, in 1908, placed under government control so far as located within a defined protective zone (zona protectora dasocratica). Such must be managed under plans provided by the Forest Service, and in case of refusal on the part of owners expropriation proceedings are provided, but the money for taking advantage of this provision would probably not be in the Treasury. Indeed, according to Professor Miguel del Campo at the Escurial forest school, results so far are nil.
Since 1896, popular education is attempted through Arbor days, various associations fostering the idea; in 1904, La Fiesta del Arbol was made a national holiday, and premiums are distributed for plantations made on that day.
The Revista de Montes, a semi-official monthly journal, began its publication in 1877, and serves the purpose of propaganda, as well as the professional needs. A considerable book literature is also developed.
PORTUGAL.
A pamphlet written for the International Exposition at Rio de Janeiro in 1908, contains a chapter written by a forester, Borges, which gives most recent and authentic information.
Besides notes scattered through the literature, an article by L. Pardée, a French botanist, in Revue des Eaux et Forêts, 1911, gives an extensive description of forest conditions and especially of the forest of Leiria.
The small kingdom which occupies the west coast of the Iberian peninsula, with 34,000 square miles and 6 million people, is in many respects similar to Spain, except that a larger portion is fertile, being situated in the litoral region, the climate less excessive, and the people somewhat more enterprising. Not much more than one-half of the country, however, is utilized; nearly 15,000 square miles being waste.
Three sections or zones are recognized, the northern, bounding on Spain which is mainly mountainous but also contains extensive sand dunes, is the best wooded; the central, which is hilly and less well wooded, contains (in Estremadura and Beira) one of the most desolate regions of Europe and at the same time the best managed forest; the southern, the richest in farm lands, with semi-tropic climate and flora, the zone of evergreen broadleaf flora.
About 10% of the land area, or 4 million acres are under forest, although 2 million more are wooded with olive, fig, almond plantations, or open woodlands and brushwood. Of the actual forest area the State owns only 82,000 acres, 30,000 of which reforested areas or sand dunes in process of recovery.