New-York tribune., 1890-04-20
TO PRESERVE THE FORESIS.
PROPOSING TO ESTABLISH A BIG STATE
PARK

preserving the forests, In which every man, woman
and child Of this Commonwealth should be deeply in.
tercsed Owing 70 the reorganization Of the state
Forestry Association the cooperation which its officers
have promised and the gradual spread of the knowl
edge of the Importance Of the wooded lands of tho
state the members of the Commission led 70 hope
that their abors will be- in the future less herculean
and fruitful of better lasting and more encouraging
results.
"Thc great trouble has been,' said man who is
perfectly familiar with the history OF the Forest Com
mission and forest legislation in Ncwiork, that the
masses of pcople could not be made to believe that the
preservation Of forests necessary In the United
states on account OF the vast tracts OF land within
its limits The more judcious people, however, have
advocated this matter for some time. During the
last twenty-five years, In fact several attempts nave
been made to introduce system Of forest preservation
in This state Although they all founded npOn
the principles in vogue In Europe for the same pur-
pose nothing Of a really practical nature was accom-.
pshed until the enactment Of the law Of 1888, which
called the present Forest Commission into existence.
RDICULE NET WITH AT FIRST.
"Ths Commission began work amid a great d&
Of unjust ridicue The people who really understoa
ANYTHING about the necessity OF forest preservation
seemed 10 be few indeed. The public in general knew
nothing about H. and cared even less. Even In
tclgcnt people who gave the matter any thought
looked upon il as sentimental and puere' lne
cg stature not be induced t. pay an' at'ehion~
the recommendations OF the Commission. IL wonih MAKE
no cnactments In aid OF It's o,tenslole PURPOSES
bat allowed the Commissioners 10 dllft Tor them
selves But the law under which they actei was
crude and its provisions were insufficient II gave
the Commissioners little power to do anything beyohd
keeping fire out of the forests and bringing prosecutions
for trer passing upon state lands.
at was difficult b conduct the prosecutions sue
ccssulIy owing to the local feeling that the public
owned the forests and had the right TO the timber on
the state lands Cries Of, We the people the
land i ours met the advances Of the commission as
every hand. When the people were tod to keep on
the public lands they simply laughed. They couo nov
be convinced that the State had any rights whatever
until heavy fines had been imposed upon some OF these
trespassers. Conviction, in hundreds OF instances
has been impossible because Of the imp' s'ibiny m
getting witnesses to testify against the cuiprl,s al
though there possible doubt OF their guilt.
was also manfesty unsafe to proceed TOO rad'ay' oe
cause the men would be angered and have their ven
gcance by burning the forests.
1t has also been hard to convince the state ofcials
in Albany that there has been a change Of policy Up
10 1885 II had been the policy Of the sta'e expressed
in legislative acts and judicial decisions. 10 get rd o'
its lands rapidly possible. The laws allowing
the cancellation Of state titles and redemption for oc.
cupancy were OF the broadest kind. Thousands OF
acres Of land slipped away from the state under those
The cancellations have been stopped to great de-
gree and If the law now the senate is passed
which is to be hoped-an end will also be put 10 inc
redemption evils. But the public iunctlonaricl af9 ~
policy is in existence, and instead OF adlng IN tns
preservation OF the forests they have granted every
facility to the people TO take the state LANDS
HISTORY OF THE PRESENT MOVEMENT.
"The movement for the enlargement OF the forestry
scheme IL may use that expression continued iie
Trlbunc's informant began some time ago. -
cevcd an incentive In the message OF the Governor %
winter on the preservation Of the AdlrondacN iores
II was followed by the enactment. on the part o 'ne
present legislature Of the Sloan concurrent resolution
directing the Forest Commission to make thorough ex'
animation Of the feasibility and advsabilty OF estae
fishing state park in the Adlrondacks, ana It's PROP
able cost The result Of the COmmissions work is 70
| be presented to the Legislature OF 1921. 4.
sufficient show that The worn "hsn mas Jey2lSso Ss
upon the Commission Is one Of no Sa in Se
evng that the establishment of PARK Is an aosots a
seurces Of V our waller supply to keep the fall
as feeders the canals for the irrigation OF the in'
As ~ how this is to be done is still probematlcal Ihe
cost Of the park is. also yet mere matter oi con-
iior" lion win require hard work for six months.
a tract Of land forming an ellpe WIN blue ngun ~
tain Lake r5eiv a1 cenIre rs w "nd from cSs to west Of y
miles has been considered. ini- tract Wh,h J. ,p
ncluaes an area Of about 1925 square miles and te
twcen TWO and three million acres of lana. OF tho
nar,ls runrinc from ffy to 10000 widely
scattered. however and separated by tra,', v~nv y,
nrlvate ndlviduais mos, Of whom are luulbermen IN
few Instances tacsc tracts are in the possession
| Of associations which have established prNae g. e.
serves and parks that region 70 be used io' tAV"
own pleasures
THE PROBLEM OF MAKING \ PARK
"A difficult question. in this connection. Is how 70
consolidate an area OF land sufficient 70 make r.
spectacle park 1t would be idle 10 talk Of making
park only out Of that scattered land which the sOi'
now owns. These idely separated tracts must "
brought together make an area sufficient q se''
that portion Of the Adirondack land which embraces
the head waters II our rivers. Much Of that land Is
no; in the ;,osses.ion Of the state al all but t"'
me-ho.s Of acquiring more land on the part oi "'
state have been suggested "a vet by those VINO h"e
gwen the matter extended consideration The h'''
is that the shall 20 into the market a. Pfr. nv
1baerr. and The other. that II shall take tlc AN o.
,he rirhi Of eminent domain. cOndcmnAs thil "n'0'
/, ncc,ssa-v Tor park purposes. -, 81,
ntnothcr mp1rtsni question to be corsd dcrcd Is
,,,sir fhc pedpc Of Ntw-York are sufc ently alive
IN the danger, Induced hy destruction % the io,,
10 bear the coast Of their preservation oN /
mark The state j. rich and T. iuly ale 10 pay @ az
that The scheme Will make necessary. lN.hN ~ ~.
ago. when ts proe,t VIZ n.t s,ceu upp,,,Sly one.
fourth their present valuation II "ouu ,A'c .he :,
good business investment TO have pulcna'ru "a yalns
during that interval. II would It'll b. good Dush. @
investment al the present price. ir p'.', " ,ssn ,
double wla- they at prcsen'. ltoNtN,'' -
that ha, spent $1,000 900 on ipltoi Dul.I,
shouid not fear the expense incurred by the pur''''
Of a park. .n.. al sccntists
agree that the preservation OF the forests i
necessary to n,scrve the water supply Ni,i'ou, ,
he forests there can be neither water no. .p W. J I
stream, dry up lands become arid, ana N'aoo ~, ~,
decrease, in value. The climatic lnHnch,'S VI Nv
forest, are the subject Of continued dl-' sncs
ever thor, is no GOubt - their san!tttS ~,
especially A. 10 thai Of the evergreen iote,,, s.,,s
timber has been cut from srse pat o, t,' 'Ts Tss
lands in New YORK; at some time or oths'' ,s,
lands i'm the ncghhorhOod oi railfoths ana VIA ra.
rourses have brcn in fact. pretty well stripped ~
existence of any virgin fore ifs Is Simply W V,s-
fart that thcrc were facilities for get'ihS a.
timber 10 markets. The more the raiAoteS a.
tended the worst. at leas. is II for these io''S~
METHODS USED IN EUROPE
.The evils which follow IN the wake of forest ue'
ton are rot chimerical: neither are they matters
spcculaton These evils have been pointed ou' 49,,
and ,r,i, I'm ruropean countries. Their governments
c,pcnd large sums yearly preserve their iors'
conduct schools for the training OF men LOT IN.
forest service and to collect large Libraries upo" ~
subicct The forests OF Europe are almost al Pc :,
totions II was found 10 be absolutely heee,'~' a.,