CHAPTER 417

An Act to amend the Code of Virginia by adding in Article 6 of Chapter
4 of Title 10 a new section numbered § 10-74.1, providing for a declara-
tion of policy as to the perpetuation of the forest resources of the
State, and to amend and reenact 8§ 10-75, and 10-76 as amended, of
the Code of Virginia, relating, respectively, to definitions of trees
and to trees to be left uncut for seeding purposes. P

[S 290]

Approved April 1, 1952

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. That the Code of Virginia be amended by adding in Article 6 of
Chapter 4 of Title 10 a section numbered § 10-74.1, and that §§ 10-75, and
10-76 as amended, of the Code of Virginia be amended and reenacted, the
new and amended sections being as follows:

§ 10-74.1. The preservation of the forests and the conservation of the
forest resources for the equal and guaranteed use of present and future
generations, and the protection and perpetuation of forest resources by
means of continuous growth of timber on lands suitable therefor, are de-
clared to be the public policy of the Commonwealth of Virginia. In de-
claring this policy it 1s recognized that continuous timber growth of com-
mercially valuable species is in the public interest, and can be attained to
a considerable degree by prescribing certain rules of forest practice to
be observed in the growing and harvesting of timber.

§ 10-75. For the purpose of this article:

‘Tree’ means any tree of a currently commercially valuable species
which is * siz inches or more in diameter; and

‘““‘Diameter’”’ means the distance through a tree at the point of average
thickness as measured from outside of bark to outside of bark at a point
on the trunk ten inches above the general ground level.

§ 10-76. Every landowner who cuts, or permits to be cut, or any
person who is responsible for cutting, or actually cuts, or any person who
procures another to cut, for commercial purposes, timber from one acre
or more of land on any acre on which loblolly pine (Pinus taeda), or
shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata), singly or together, occur, shall reserve
and leave uncut and uninjured not less than four conebearing loblolly or
shortleaf pine trees from fourteen inches or larger in diameter on each
acre thus cut and upon each acre on which loblolly and shortleaf pine,
singly or together, * occur as aforesaid; provided that where there are
not present four conebearing loblolly or shortleaf pine trees fourteen inches
or larger in diameter on any particular acre, there shall be left uncut and
uninjured in place of each conebearing loblolly or shortleaf pine tree of
this required diameter class not present two such conebearing trees of
the largest diameter less than fourteen inches in diameter. Such pine
trees shall be for the purpose of reseeding the land and shall be healthy,
windfirm, and of well developed crowns, evidencing seed bearing ability
by the presence of cones in the crowns. Provided, that on any acre or
acres where loblolly and short leaf pine occur, either singly or together,
and compose ten percent or less of the live trees thereon, the provisions
of this section shall not apply.