New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1900-02-04
THE FORESTS.

That part of Governor Roosevelts annual
message which related TO the fish, game and
forest interests of the State has received less
general attention than 1t deserves, but we are
glad to learn that its sensible suggestions are
likely to become the subject of earnest consider
alton In the Legislature. Concerning the con-
dition and care of the forests the Governor
spoke with special emphasis, and two bllis
affecting their management have been proposed
One of these is in the form of an amendment TO
the Constitution, authorizing the State officers
to establish ordinances which shall have the
effect of laws for forest administration, and its
purpose obviously is to modify to some extent
the restrictions of the organic law under which
no part of the forest preserve can be leased, sold
or exchanged, nor the timber on it sold, re-
moved or destroyed. AS we have repeatedly
said this provision of the Constitution was ad-
vocated, not a wise general rule for the man
agen1ent Of forest property, but as necessary
means of preventing the further destruction Of
the public forests of this State until such time
as public sentiment should be sufficiently in
structed to enforce suitable methods of main
tenance and cultivation
Though it is not doubted that during the last
five years general appreciation of the value of
the States wooded domain has grown and
time has come to remove restrictions which may
have impeded forest development, but which
have certainly stood in the way of selfish and
injurious schemes The period which has
elapsed since the adoption OF the Constitution
has at least supplied abundant material for an
instructive discussion of the subject, such as
the proposed amendment may be expected to
arouse. The other measure now before the
Legislature is intended simply to provide more
adequate facilities for the protection of the
forests from fire and spoliaton and for the en-
forcement of the game laws The Governor de-
clared that there ought to be "a thorough reor-
'ganization of the Fisheries, Game and Forest
Commission" Just how much he intended by
this we have no means of knowing. If he meant
that the work of the Commission should be sys-
tematized and better equipped and more eff
cent force of subOrdinates employed TO carry it
on, the bill under discussion, which is said to
have his support, would seem to answer his
requirements.
1t provides that the engineer of the Fisheries,
Game and Forest Commission shall be Superin-
tendent of Forests and that the Commission
shall appoint an assistant superintendent n
chief fire warden, thirty-five forest rangers five
expert foresters and a land clerk, the rangers
being required to live in the forest districts
assigned TO them and TO maintain a thorough
patrol with special reference to careless camp
ers, poachers and timber thieves There is no
doubt that this comprehensive work of protect
ing the rights and interests of the State in the
forest preserve which it has acquired and is ex-
tending at large cost has been very imperfectIv
performed and that radical improvements ought
to be effected. How far it may be necessary to
Increase the present expense of administration
we do not know. How soon it will be possible,
by removing the constitutional prohibitions and
introducing scientific system of cultivation, to
make the forests at least self-sustaning as they
ought TO have been long ago. we do not even
venture to guess. But happily there is reason
to believe that some progress toward that goal
has been made since the year of the Cons:itu-
tional Convention.