Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1917-01-12

long practlced ana under whose ulrec-
ton the lands have been managed thus
far as Mr.. Battell himself was accus-
toned, The plan above outlined would
demand in addition the services of a
trained forester, who would undoubted-
ly find ample scope for his efforts on
this area of 25, 900 acres, The expense
for competent man would be between
81, 800 and 50, 500 year.
EXPENSE OF MANAGEMENT.
ut will be seen that the expense to
develop this property in proper man
ner will be considerable. For the first
ten years it will be desirable to reinvest
large part of the income from the
forests in its permanent management.
These expenditures, however, will be
an investment which will materially add
to the income producing capacity of the
forest later on, All forestry is pre-
dicated on present sacrifice for the sake
of greater future profit, In the long
run, however, it IS believed that these
holdings will be of great value to the
institution. Mr.. Austin +. HAYES,
State Forester, has assured me that
they should easily yield 81 per acre in
net income, while the lands are still
being improved, and that eventually
the return should be very much larger,
The taxes on these lands amount to
abouti$4, 900 a year and this sum should
be received each year from now on from
timber cuttings and in addition any
further sum incident to the care of the
forests.
"If any doubt exists as to whether
thelcolege is free to treat these lands
in a reasonable and practical manner,
so as to derive the benefits which Mr.,
Battell anticipated from them, clear
and authoritative Interpretation should
be sought. The whole subject merits
careful consideration on the part of the
trustees of the college, and the above
suggestions are set forth, not as final
or conclusive, but as the beginning Of
serious consideration of subject of
great Importance to the college.
Another matter of great Importance
treated in the report is the bequest for a
NATIONAL PARK.
"a devise of 1,8OO acres in Lincoln
and 2, 1870 acres in Warren, inventoried
at $50, $50, to the United States for a
National Park has not been accepted
and these lands are still in the hands of
the executors. Efforts have been made
to secure an examination of these lands
by the Department of the Interior,
which is entrusted with the admnistra-
ton of National Parks, but it seems
that congressional action is necessary
to obtain even an inspection and report
on such proposed gift, and Congress
has as yet taken no action.
"These lands are on the main ridge
of the Green Mountains, and INCLUDE
Potato Hill Mount Abraham) and
Ellen Mountain, which are the two
peaks of Lincoln Mountain, the higher
being 4,07S feet. The Long Trail of
the Green Mountain Club extends the
entire length of the tract. The nearest
railroad station is Bristol, eight miles
distant. The tract is irregular in shape,
the lots are not all contiguous, and the
main portion does not touch the public
highway at any point. The principal
feature of the park as a recreation
ground would be the view from the
SUBMITS of the mountains.
"If the United States accepts this
devise and establishes a National Park
in Vermont, the project should be en-
arged to embrace a much larger area
of the Green Mountains. | venture to
suggest that an endeavor be made to
include in the proposed park a strip
along the height of land extending from
the tract devised by Mr.. Battell south
wards at least as far as the highway
from Brandon to Rochester | have in
mind the crest of the ridge, extending
down the mountain on either side suffi-
GENTLY to allow the construction of a
scenic highway along its entire length.
Such Green Mountain National Park
would admit of a magnificent drive
through the highest and widest land in
the State, commanding views of both
Lake Champlain and the White Noun
tains, and through most of its length
through grand virgin forests. 1t would
speedily become one of the most popu-
lar recreational features in the entire
country. 1t would lend distinction to
Vermont as a recreation region and
benefit the entire State. Within easy
reach of the great centers of population
it would be of value to countless num-
bers who can not visit the National
Parks of the west
at is undoubtedly a National Park