New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-10-22
A PROPOSED FORESTRY AMENDMENT.

ITS PURPOSE Is TO NULLrFY TIE PROTECTION
AFFORDED TO THE STATE PRESERVES.
To the Editor OF The Tribune.
Sir: On several occasions, and even so recently as
n your issue of September 80 you paid me the COM
lment of referring to me In connection win inc
mendment to the Constitution having for It's OBJECT
tie preservotion Of our State forests whioh became
~ the vote Of the people Of the State IN November
S9, a part Of organic law on January l. 1850
therefore feel emboldened. through the coii'hs
u, your paper call the attention OF the people Oh
this State to the danger OF adopting the amend
nnent 10 this provision. which is TO be voted upon
at the coming election 1t will be most detrimental
to the forests If this amendment should be adopted
The Constitutional Convention o. 1884, after care
full deberation to its terms and erect ADOPTED
by a unanimous vote the amendment TO the Consti-
tuition intended 10 preserve the forests to the people
of this State This provision. now portion OF the
law, is follows:
THE lands of the State now owned or hereafter
acquired constituting the forest preserve as now
fixed by law. shall be forever kept as Wild forest
lands They shall not be leased sold or exchanged.
or be taken by any corporation, public or private:
nor shall tho timber thereon be sold. removed or
destroyed"
The amendment proposed to be made TO this pro-
vision OF the Constitution is to the effect that these
lands may be leased, exchanged and sold ana It's
effect is practically to nulify the existing proVi-
Sons. An objection which tho Constitutional Con-
vention found the leasing of forest lands. even
In small parcels, that the best and most desra-
be sections would he taken ZIP TO the exclusion or
the general public. and that the burning or Vaiua
he timber and waste inevitably follow such occu-
patton. As TO exchanging lands of the STATE out
side of certain arbitrarily fixed lines for lands In.
side the state would be likely TO get the worst Oh
such ar Exchange in that IL would probably be CIV
ING an"Iv wooded lands for lands from which the
timber had been cut. AS 10 selling forest landS OF
the State, 1t will be remembered that these anus
STAT lint n
small amount OF money when would De received
riace. This amendment it is stated in your issue
OF September 3d. has tho support OF the tsn. Salne
decided that there should be prohibition upon inc
leasing. sale and exchange of these lands ana me
Fish Game ana Forest Commission should he sat
isied to perform It's duties under the law as IT Is
without seeking TO enlarge >,s powers or autnorl!
at what may be u great cost to the people OF the
Apart from this. there is in this proposed amend
mcilt, which has been furthered by this Commits
sion a menace to which your attention has proba-
ply been M ,H r the PrTRGss al ore co
poratons or the taking of them by corpora,o oy
3Te was carey
drawn, and reads that these lands shall not be
poration. public or private. etc. me amendme,h i
presented TO the voters at the coming election reads
''They shall not be leased sold or exchanged to he
taken by any corporation. public or private. etc
The presence in this proposed amendment OF the
as to appear suspicious. 1t might hereafter be
claimed that the Constitution prohibited the sale OF
leaving IL open to permit Of these lands being sold
when 70 be used or taken by an Individual: To-
The Tribune has been uniformly outspoken IN
defence of the State forests going so far as TO say
during the sitting of the Constitutional Convention
of 1894 that perhaps the most important question
before II was this amendment which Is now the law
of the State that lis readers familiar with the
Importance OF protecting these forests. Assaults
arc constantly being made upon them. During inc
last session OF the legislature bill discovered
only when upon tho eve Of being passed which
practically provided for taking possession OF the
waters and woods OF the Adirondacks by indi-
viduals named In the bill. Every step which prom
Uses TO do injury these forests should he viCor-
ouslv contested To defeat these efforts every lover
of the forest and those who appreciate the erect
upon our commercial and sanitary interests OF their
preservation. should vote against this rronosition
DAVID MCCLURE
New York October IL 1876