THE ITALIAN FOREST SERVICE has just received the report of a commission appointed by the Government to make recommendations for revising the current montane law, enacted in 1952 and due to expire this year.
Forest and montane economy legislation in Italy can be traced back to the early days of the Roman era. In pagan times the woods and forests were held sacred. The people had a traditional respect for them, and ceremonies and important events took place in a sacred grove or in the shade of some venerable tree. The first forest guards were connected with the priesthood. They guarded the sacred groves, cultivated the trees and replanted where necessary. Damage to the woods was considered sacrilege and punishable by death.
As the Romans extended their empire, the religious importance of the forest gave way before the need of timber for ships for war and commerce. The need for a well-regulated forest estate became recognized and, since the Romans were great lawmakers and had a vast civil and military organization, they gradually evolved an efficient service of forest guards. These men were at first only custodians of the forests and had no technical duties. It was quite a dangerous job since the forests abounded in wild animals and brigands.
Gradually the forest administration became responsible also for tending and managing the forests - it was responsible for fellings and removals and for the protection of watersheds. There were forest guards who enforced respect for contracts, controlled exploitation and grazing, and performed many of the functions of a modern forest service.
This admirable organization and respect for the law disintegrated in the 4th century A.D. when invaders overran the Italian peninsula. In the ensuing centuries of turbulence laws were only enforced by strong overlords, each in his own interest and in his own domain. Forests were looked on as hunting preserves and all rights of felling and grazing were withdrawn from the local populations. Indeed, the word "forest" is supposed to derive from this period as Foris stare, meaning "keep out."
The free communes and republics which came into being after the 11th century in northern and central Italy redistributed grazing and cutting rights and had their own forest guards to enforce the laws, giving them the same status as the soldiery.
Succeeding centuries saw the care of the forests exercised sporadically, according to whether various small states were at peace or war. Invading armies and unstable governments took their toll of the forest patrimony and the population had little respect for laws which could not be consistently enforced. Only the Republic of Venice, with its great naval and trading interests, was an exception in having a consistent and enlightened forest policy.
The present Italian State dates from 1870, and the unification of the forest laws and forest services of so many petty states, each with its separate administration, was a tremendous task. It is a process which is still going on, as the recommendations for a new law show.
Disastrous floods in 1966, which severely damaged Italian historic places dear to the whole of the civilized world, brought home more clearly than ever the dangers of deforestation and neglect of watersheds, and pointed to the need for a well-organized forest service with personnel, funds, equipment, and legislative machinery to enable it to carry out its work. It is to be hoped that no time will be lost in framing a new Italian forest law based on the recommendations of the commission.
