The floods of 1834 as the turning point towards a modern forest management? Process of institutionalisation in the use of forests in the canton of Grisons
2001
Nienhaus, A.
Since the 1820s efforts have been made in the canton of Grisons to modernise the use made of the forests. The communities, for whom wood was the major source of revenue, were successful in defending themselves against cantonal influence and were able to block the modernisation process. Following the alpine floods of 1834 the conviction of an acute necessity of developing preventative measures was boosted by the arguments of the proponents of modernisation and the interested parties were able to push through a first cantonal forestry decree, thus breaching communal executive powers. The most important paragraph in this decree cleared the way for the employment of a cantonal forest officer, who was subsequently able to further the process of modernisation of forest management. A few regulations on the use of forests were initiated by the cantonal office in some parts of some forests. Thus, in the wake of the flooding catastrophe a short-term extension of competencies ensued which was favourable to modernisation. These extension of competencies was largely terminated by 1839 and the majority of forests thus remained in the hands of communities which continued to use them according to the old ideas.
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