Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1883-11-30
ADIROnDACK FORESTS
Tho Watchword OF tho Hour. i1hcy
Must and shall be Preserved.
From the New York SUM,

lrTOul tno NsW loTk sun ~.
The forest region popularity known as the
Adirondack wilderness extends over terri
tory Of nearly 2500 square miles, including
within it's limits large areas of swamp, lake,
and bare mountain top. Nearly 1000 square
miles of the territory are probably already
owned by the State of New York, which
has gradually become possessed of the lands
through the failure of former owners to pay
taxes upon them.
1t has long been the custom among owners
OF Adirondack forest property to cut off the
forests as rapidly as q market could be found
for the logs, and then abandon the worthless
land to the State. 1t follows that the State
lands are not in one or more large, CON-
pact bodies, but are widely scattered through
out the wilderness, and are not now covered
with any considerable growth. The possess
sfens of the state, therefore, great as they
are In the aggregate, can not at present
greatly influence the water supply OF the
upper Hudson basin. In spite OF the fires,
however, which have swept over such por-
tions of the wilderness as now belong to the
state, destroying what little fertility the soil
once possessed, forests will grow up again
upon these lands in the natural course of
events Years, however, must elapse before
these new forests, even if successfully pro-
tected from further damage by fire. eau be
expected 10 exert any considerable influence
upon the water supply of the State.
The law which prohibits the sale of any
portion of these lands is step in the right
direction. 1t is only step, however. In
order to insure a permanent flow Of
water from the northern part OF the State,
the whole Adirondack region must be
preserved In perpetual forest As
long as bodies of timber, the pro-
perty Of private individuals, remain scatter
ed among the State lands, 1t will be hopeless
to undertake the preservation of the detach-
ed portions Of the forest belonging to the
State. Fire follows the axe of the lumber
man, and nothing can prevent the spread of
fire from private to public lands. II the
private owners of forest in the Adirondack
region continue the numbering operations
now projected, the destruction of the entire
wilderness is inevitable. The fires, which
will find abundant material in the dry tops
and branches of trees scattered by the lunl-
bermen about their camps, will sweep year
after year over the entire territory now occu-
pied by the northern woods, gradually con-
verling It into a barren desert, incapable of
producing again even the most insignificant
forests until The growth and decay of gener
ations of humble plants shall have returned
10 it some portion of its fertility. Nature
heals such wounds made upon the earth's
surface very slowly even in climate like our
owu, and centuries, perhaps, will elapse be-
fore the forests of Northern New York, once
thoroughly destroyed by fire, Can be made TO
flourish again. During such transition
period, possibly extending through centuries,
the Erie canal will remain us, less for want
OF water the upper Hudson will no longer
be navigable stream; towns and villages
now rich aud prosperous will be deserted
and the commerce of a mighty nation will be
diverted from its natural channels.
If it is desirable to prevent such far.rcach-
ing calamities, no halfway measures should
be adopted. If our water supply is to be
maintained. the State must speedily acquire
control of the whole Adirondack wilderness,
and govern it in manner to insure against
the danger of total destruction by fire.
Nothing short of entire, absolute control can
produce the desired results. The Erie canal
and the Hudson river can not be placed be.
yond danger by any ill.consdered measures
or the maKeshifts Of mistaken economy.