The_Open_Door_deel1

-262-
was also carried out by A.G. Voorhoeve, of the School of
Forestry of the University of Liberia, who in 1965 published
a systematic botanical study of the 75 most important or most
frequently found high forest trees (10). The 196O's also saw the
start of an inventory of Liberia's forests under a bilateral aid
agreement with the Government of the German Federal Republic.
This eight years' inventory was concluded in 1968 (11).
The availability of information on Liberia's forest potential
constituted an important contribution to the exploitation on
large scale of the country's forest resources, an activity which
grew in importance after 1968. Another, more regrettable result
was that more information on Liberia's forest resources can thus
be found in the Federal Republic of Germany and in the U.S.A.
than in this West African Republic. This is partly due to
Liberia's failure to keep adequate records of historical
documents and important reports.
Forestry Policy
Explicit Government policy and specific legislation with respect
to the systematic (commercial) utilization of the country's
forest resources were virtua'lly non-existent before 1940 - a
fact only partly explained by the absence of information on the
forest potential. On February 20, 1940 the National Legislature
approved "An Act regulating the exploitation of timberlands and
fixing a duty on lumber exported from the Republic of Liberia".
This Act aimed at the regulation of the commercial exploitation
of timberlands, notably by foreigners. The Act prescribed the
minimum size of the trees which could be cut, and prohibited the
exploitation of Liberia's lumber resources without a permit or
license. It may be assumed therefore that this act was intended
to fill a lacuna and that there were a number of foreign persons,
firms or corporations actually operating in the country. It is
regrettable, however, that no information could be found with
respect to these foreign investors' activities. The only foreign
investor who is known to have had timber exploitation rights
during this period is Firestone. This company had been granted
rights with respect to timber in 1935 and indeed made use of
these rights though this was limited to the production of lumber
for the local needs of the rubber producing company.
The same Act of 1940 fixed a customs duty of six cents for each
cubic foot of lumber exported (12). However, Firestone
Plantations Company was allowed to cut trees free of any charge
if not sold or exported and was charged a stumpage fee of only
2 cents per cubic ft if sold (13).
Though it is not known with certainty, the 1940 Act may never
have been implemented. The 1957 Supplementory Act for the
Conservation of the Forests of the Republic of Liberia