In 1836, a forest administration for the state domain was inaugurated, but the unfortunate division of powers between military and civil authorities was a hindrance to effective improvement of conditions. The fire ravages of 1871 led to a thorough re-organization under the direction of Tassy, in 1873.
Nevertheless, in 1900, Lefebvre, Inspector of Forests, in his book, Les forêts de l’Algérie, still complains that the forests are being ruined, especially by pasturing, the means allowed the administration being too niggardly measured.
The Forest Code of the home country and special laws enacted from time to time applies. The administration of the state and communal forest is directly under the home department and is regulated in similar manner.
A re-organization and a special forest code for Algiers was enacted in 1903. This legislation relies still largely on the general principles of the Code of 1827. The most interesting features are the provision for expropriation and addition to the state domain of forests the preservation of which is of public interest, and the rigorous forest fire legislation, which permits the treatment of incendiaries as insurrectionists, makes the extinction of forest fires a duty of the forest officials, and provides the forcible establishment of fire lines (rides) between neighbors.
In the forests placed under the forestry regime, permits from the governor-general are required for clearing. For the administration of these properties, the state receives ten per cent. of the gross yield. Reforested hilltops or slopes and sand dunes are relieved from taxes for 30 years, burnt areas for 10 years.
In the other African possessions, unregulated exploitation of the tropical forests, largely for by-products, like caoutchouc, kola, and fine furniture woods, is still the order of the day, except in Madagascar, which with 25 to 30 million acres of tropical forest area, was, in 1900, provided with a forest service, which is under the Minister of Colonies. Here, a license system is in vogue, giving concessions to exploit limited areas for a given time, at an annual rent of less than one cent, per acre per year. The concessions run from 5 to 20 years, and on 12,500 acres or more, the time of their duration being extended from the lowest term for one year for every 2,500 acres. Police regulations and fines are intended to check abuses, and to regulate the rights of user exercised by natives.
In Indo-China (Cochin-China, Cambodia, Anam, Tonquin) the total forest area is still unknown. Only that of Cochin-China with 2.5 million acres, and of Cambodia with 10 million acres can be stated, and Cochin-China seems to possess the only approach to a forest service. Although it is estimated that in 1901 in the whole of Indo-China, with 18 million people, some 85 million cubic feet of wood were cut (nine-tenths fire wood) an import of over $200,000 worth of workwood from Europe was needed.
The first attempts at regulating forest use in these Asiatic possessions date back to 1862, when exploitation was confined to delimited areas. The administration, however, remained inefficient, and under impracticable and heterogeneous orders, which were issued from time to time, devastation progressed with little hindrance.