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Show Introduction In the province of Tirol since 1774, unrestricted alpine logging and agricultural practices have lowered the timberline 1300 feet. The forest area has been reduced by one- half. In the province of Tirol today, there are approximately 2300 avalanche paths which in some way or another affect human activities. Of these, 10 have been subdued by a complete system of defense structures. Construction of defense systems is planned or under way for 20 more. Of these 2300 avalanche paths, approximately two- thirds originate below the climatologically possible ( though not necessarily the existing) timberline and are thus amenable to suppression by reforestation. There is very little Federal land in the Austrian Alps, and only 15% of the forests in all of Austria are state- owned. Almost all of the ground is privately owned by individuals, by groups or by local communities. Ownership of valley lands often carries with it property, timber and grazing rights in the timberline zone and alps. Property maps of the mountainsides illustrate an incredible division of land ownership. More than half the total forest area consists of privately-owned lots smaller than 50 hectares ( or 125 acres). Until very recently there has been little control of land and timber utilization, which was left to the discretion of the many individual owners. In 1947 the Federal Ministery for Land and Forest Economy took the first steps to reverse the long- standing trend of alpine exploitation and increasing avalanche damage. An avalanche section was added to the Section for Torrent Control at Innsbruck. This group began preparation of avalanche maps for Tirol, completing this task in 1951• Catastrophes during the great avalanche winters of 1951 and 1954 were due not |