New-York tribune., 1897-01-07
TO SAVE THE FORESTS.
PROMPT ACTION NEEDED TO PRESERVE
THE HUDSON WATERSHED.
THE VALUE OF LUMBER LANDS INCREASING
WITH THE GREATER FACILITIES FOR rHn
TRANSPORTATION OF TrMBER-wHAr
THE COMMITTEE WILL URGE
UPON THE LEGIs-
YATI-RF

Albany. Jan. s aspeciaD.-AssembIyman rhomas
H. WagstaH. OF Brooklyn. chairman OF the special
legislative committee for the Investigation OF tho
condition Of the Adirondack forests who was pres
ent at the inauguration Of Governor BLACK taneo
freely the other day Of work OF the committee ana
the recommendations to he made In the report
soon TO be submitted to the Legislature
..If you have any doubt OF the widespread IN
terest In the protection OF the Adirondack forests
so,d Mr. Waestan. IT would refer you to the over
r,belrninr defeat Of the constitutional Amendment.
which only serves TO show how little VIII the
neople at large tolerate anything which threatsns
the spol,ation Of the forests
"Pea,ixns the importance o. our work. and the IN
,e-e. felt ry the entire State in IT, we have MADE
careful, investigation and hope TO have our recon-
nend,.ions acted favorably upon. We shall propose
"a the coming Legislature that an appropriation o.
At leas, s10O 600 he made, TO purchase ao'ieona'
lands within the State Park In order TO assure 'o
protection OF the sources OF the Hudson AZ Well AZ
the canal reservoirs. which are dependent upon the
Adirondack streams The committee VIII Suggest
that the money to be :hms expended shall re ra'seo
BY the issue and sale OF bonds
1T has been suggested that small purchases v
made each year. but the committee is OF the u".n'-
NOUS opinion that only by prompt acton ca" 'no
watershed OF the Hudson he preserved Inc S'a''
must own the land II It would preserve the 'o'ess. ~
Individual owners In this in all other investments
arc lacking for return from the capital investeo'
and this can only be obtained from the clearing OK
the land of It's timber and the consequential oryns
up OF our Adirondack streams. The state must mo
longer depend upon the charity OF Individual o""s''
for the protection OF the forests
The necessity for prompt action is Clearly appar-
emf from the rapid increase In the value OF forese
land Formerly only that land considered vasu'
able which was tinbered with soft wood Inc m
ability to hoat the hard wood logs made land fair'y
well timbered with hard wood practically valueiess
from a commercial standpoint. This IS al chaheeo
now as a spur from the railroad. or even tramway
furnishes a means OF getting the hard wood and
consequent rise follows In the price OF land 90 um
bered A delay Of only few years In ths purcnass~
these lands by the State means an enormous iherea~
in taxation for each year causes an ADDITION OF nun
dreds of thousands OF dollars in the cost to the sste
OF the lands The lands received from tax sA'es'
which IN the mast has been cheap way for the State
"a acquire forest lands. cannot longer be dependeo
upon Increased valuation, owing to greater ra"os"
facilities numbering purposes, attractive sites 'o'
summer residences and hotels. as well as for game
preserves has caused a more prompt payment OF
the taxes and little land VIII IN the iu'u'e VIC ~
uured from tax sales"
In answer TO an inquiry as to the availability OF
and .or purchase by the State. Mr.. Wagstan sad
that the committee had received extensive oHers o,
land at average price OF one doiar ana nai'
per acre. Taking this as basis for estimate' tns
State would secure from the appropriation suggested
about 6OOOoo acres Of Adirondack forest land. The
largest purchase yet made by the State was tnat
known as the W. Seward Webb purchase; mace y ny
the Land Board in 1895. and comprises about boO
acres OF land at an average price OF s. per acre
The land inspected by the INVESTIGATING COMMITTEES
which Is purchasable at the above price. IL, accord
ing to the chairman OF the committee what Is known
as imbered land and Includes no mountains OF rock
and land devoid OF all verdure: Such properly.
vaiueless to the owner would be alike yalueless
10 the State for the purposes OF protecting the water
supply. and has not been considered by the COM
mittee in their recommendations. - A..
The report Of the COMMITTEES will point out tne
danger to the States streams and canals from tne
cutting or OF the soft timber and the greater danser
manded by the necessities Of modern manufacture
the hard wood timber. 1t will further attempt 20 I'M
press upon the LEGISLATURE, the Forest Commission
the Land Board che necessity for prompt acuon
not only for the pr0tecon Of the forests but IN ordr
10 save the State hundreds OF thousands OF dollars IN
purchase which Is inevitable.