The State domain in the first half of the 19th century had been reduced
by sales from nearly 10 million acres to 4.5 million acres, and to a
little over 3 million acres in 1855. In that year, about one-half of
this property was handed over to the National Bank to secure the State’s
indebtedness of $30,000,000, and between 1860 and 1870 further sales
reduced the domain to about its present size of 1.8 million acres
productive forest. In 1872, however, a new policy, and the present
organization were instituted.
Before 1849, the forest properties which the Crown or State owned in the
various territories were not managed as a unit or in any uniform manner,
but a number of separate provincial or territorial forest
administrations existed which were often connected with mining
administrations and were placed under the Minister of Finance. These,
under the influence of the educated foresters issuing from the newly
established forest school, had, to be sure, been much improved;
nevertheless the Cameralists, as in Germany, were at the head of affairs
and kept the technical development back until after the revolution of
1848, when the accession of Franz Joseph I brought many reforms and
changes in methods of administration.
A ministry of Soilculture and Mining was created in that year, and, as a
branch of it, a forest department, separated from the department of the
Chase. To the head of this forest department was called a forester,
_Rudolf Feistmantel_, who elaborated an organization. But, before much
had been accomplished, the Ministry and its forest department were
abolished (1853) and the forest domain again transferred to the Ministry
of Finance.
Feistmantel returned in 1856 as Chief of the forest division in that
Ministry, and his organization of the forest property of the State into
forest districts under forest managers and into provincial “forest
directions” was perfected.
Matters, however, did not thrive, and, only when public attention and
indignation had been aroused by a policy of selling State property, a
change of attitude took place in 1872 which led to the present
organization. This places the State forest administration in the
Department of Agriculture, with an “Oberlandforstmeister” and two
assistants as superior officers, and the rest of the organization is
also very nearly the same as that in vogue in most German States, each
province having a directive service of “Oberforstmeister” with
“Forstmeister” as inspectors, and “Oberförster” with the assistance of
“Forstwarte” as executive officers. In addition a special corps of
“forest engineers” and “superior forest engineers” is provided for the
elaboration of working plans. Lately (1904), a re-organization of the
central office provided, besides the department of administration of
State and Funds forests, a department of reboisement and correction of
torrents, and a department of forest policy charged with the promotion
of forest culture, including the education of foresters and similar
matters.
Most of the State property is located in the Alps and Carpathian
mountains at an elevation above 2,000 feet, hence financial results do
not make a good showing.
Since 1885 it has been the policy to add to the State forest area by
purchase, and by 1898, over 350,000 acres had been added to it.