The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1909-06-13
a RxZIc or THE ORIGINAL FORESy

been introduced in the Legislatures o
Louisiana. Maine and Pennsylvania. bu
none has yet become a law. Forestr,
experts express the hope that New York
pioneer work in this direction may In
duoe other States to follow.
In substance this new principle is a,
follows. The State says to the High.
land resident or land owner:
You may continue to cut cordwooc
and telephone poles and you may lumber
tho sidee OF Storm King and Gro Mes
and Dunderbere. but in doing 30 20,
must not cut trees below a certain siz,
and age, and perhaps In certain local.
ties not at all. Above all you must discon'
tinue the present practice OF sweeping
the hillsides bare, taking every stick Of
wood from the tract.
this rule II laid down not only for the
general good bue for your own eventual
profit. since by proper cutting your for.
est win not only be made permanent but
viii gradually increase in value, at the
same time conserving your soil and water
supply
The outing Of all timber within the
limits OF the reservation will be under
the direction and control Of the Forest
Fish and Game Commission, either
through its own expert Tree OF charge
ia the private owner. or a forester In the
employ Of private owners and approved
by the commission. ,
The commission will also police and
inspect the forests and protect them
from fire In the same name as Ia done
in the Adirondack and Catskill preserves,
and violations Of such rules as It may
establish are punishable by q fine for
each offence, which it may collect In
civil action. These rules will be posted
throughout the reservation.
That the rules will meet with universal
favor at first is scarcely to be expected,
but 1t is believed that any opposition
which may arise will not be great or
prolonged. When hearings. on the bill
were held at Albany no protests OF any
nature were received from land owners
within the limits OF the reservation.
When the purposes OF the law become
more fully known 1t Is not unlikely that
opposition will develop. particularly
among the cordwood cutters. The pier
at Fort Montgomery is now piled high
with cordwood gathered from the side
OF the Torne and back of the river hills
and representing areas OF many acres
which have been barred after the usual
wasteful fashion. A new tract on the
northwest side OF Dunderberg has been
cut over. When the woodsmen who are
t~rafacking in this product prepare to
harvest their next crop they may learn
FOR The first time that they can skin the
land no more but must gather wood
according to rules laid down by the State
Forestry Department.
Dissatisfaction may be especially evil
dent on the part Of those men who, owning
no land themselves. have for years been
in the habit Of buying trees on the stump,
paying the owner a fixed SUM for the
right to out and getting the entire profit
from the sale Of the wood at a rate of
about IS q cord. These men have been
the greatest enemies OF the forests OF the
Highlands, since it has been to their in
forest to take from the land which thsy
do not own every piece Of wood which Il
u possible to utilize.
Regret has been Expressed In some
quarters that there was not established
In the Highlands an out and out State
owned forest reserve similar to those in