New-York tribune., 1896-09-30
FOR ALARGER STATE PARk
PURPOSE OF PROPOSED AMENDMENT
TO THE CONSTITUTION.
IT WILL BE VOTED or THIS FALb-o'"h''
SCHEMES FOR THE ADJOURNMENT VI
MORE LAND by THE STATE.

SCHEMES FOR THE AcQrIREMENT OF
MORE LAND by THE STATE
Albany Sept. % (specaD.-In addition 10 oens
asked TO express their choice for State ofhcers' ue
voters OF the State this fall will be conirohteo ",','
a proposed amendment to the Constitution OF co"S''
erlble Importance. The amendment au'no'i~ 81
exchange Of State lands outside the HINTS u "1
forest preserve for lands within that preserve ~
also authorizing the leasing OF the STA Z io'.'s
lands. not more than I'VE acres oi "'''0' "' ~
rented TO any one person
Dovid Mcclure a member of the Constitutional
Convention of 1884, who lover OF the Au'io"-
da * forests persuaded his associates IN th@t con-
vention to incorporate the following provision I'D '
new Constitution: ....
n,,,rad nonstmtIng the forest prcser, as now
fxed by law shall be forever kept as WHO Iores' S
nr he taLen nv any corporation public or priv@fe;
nor shall the timber thereon be solo, re"o'eu VI
destroyed.
Tho members Of the Fish, Game and Forestry
Commission are of the opinion that. in the interest
OF the State this provision OF the Constitution
should be modified They point out that the ohy
policy by which the State can acquire addilio'a
lands within the line OF the forest preserve Is ener
by purchase by a system of exchange Non''l"'''
the State owns 10000 acres within the Adrohhick
Forest Park but the States title to large part OF
II rests on tax sales These titles may be success
fully attacked any time. With the aim oil get
ting an napregnable title to some Adirondack iands
the Fish, Game and Forestry Commission IN 1881
induced the Legislature to authorize the purchase
OF $1,000 acres of forest land from Dr. W. Sew''ru
Wahb at cost OF 100000 This purchase was ef-
fe tied.
The other way of increasing the number OF acres
of forest land which the State owns in the Adiroh
dacks is by a system of exchanges a great many
proffers have been made by owners OF land within
the boundaries Of the forest preserve to exchange
forl and hn at
park These profers led the Legislature or 1879 ana
1896 to pass the following amendment to Section :,
Article VII Of the Constitution, which was quoted
above:
The lands of the State now owned or hereafter ,un
hxed by law, shall be forever kept wild forest
lands Except as @ ~ s TO- be- taken
by any corporation public or private nor sa'i 1h rhe
9sr rsatu t@ereGm may % aDh5rae the leasing such
IT may by law FIX, OF parcel OF no, NOR -,
any one person for camp and cottage purposes, purposes
The Legislature may also authorize the ,s
forest preserve for lands not owned by the STATE
situate within the forest preserve me degsacufe re
the State situate outside the forest preserve put
the money so obtained shall not De qsed exc
preserve, and which, when so purchased SHAH be-
come part of the forest preserve
The Fish, Game and Forestry Commissioners say
that II this amendment is adopted they will be
able to add largely to the number Of acres owned
by the State within the Adirondack Park
The Assembly Of the present year, at the sug-
gestion Of the Commission. appointed committee
to learn for what price lands In the Adrondacks
may be purchased. The primary object OF this IN
vestigatOn TO learn at what cost the state
could acquire forest lands at the headwaters OF
the Hudson Mohawk and Black rivers ana other
streams which may be considered part OF the
canal system OF the State All the land Inspected
was within the limits of the forest preserve. The
committee appointed had as its members Thomas
H. Wagstaf OF Kings County: Jothan Aids, OF
Chenango County John b. Fitzgerald. OF New
York and Taylor J. Eldr.dge. Of Warren County;
1t is understood that the committee has learned
that some 10000 acres can be bought. at an
average price of 81 20 acre. Some OF the land
is rated at 81 80 an acre, but not much OF H. The
committee. II is reported, will recommend the pur-
chase of 10000 acres of Adirondack lands at once
william r, Weed of the Fish. Game ana
Forestry Commissioners, said to-day: The state
would have saved millions If 1t had bought these
Adirondack lands before. 1t will now act wisely
II it shall buy these 10000 acres immediately
The Commission will also apply to the Legis-
lature for appropriation for the purchase or
land on the St Lawrence River for a state PARK
Mr. Weed said to-day: The land along the St
Lawrence River is all owned by private persons.
People cannot fish anywhere without reSpassing
on some ones ground. We ought TO have State
pa ark there of some extent
There is a scheme the part of some Northern
New-York members OF the Legislature to have the
State buy the Au Sable Chasm and convert II into
a State reservation and park. following the ex-
ample set in the case of Niagara Falls.