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such sums of money as are needed for reforesting both state and privately owned lands anywhere within the state.

Resolved, That we are unalterably opposed to the enactment of any provision into law that will allow any constituted body or commission to take or seize privately owned property without just compensation.

4. Whereas, We are acquainted with a number of claims of various kinds for damages that have been filed against the state, and the process of settlement is slow, tedious, and costly, therefore, be it

Resolved, That decisions may be more quickly reached, we recommend to the Legislature the establishment of Claim Districts for the adjudication of claims rising within said district.

5. Whereas, The people of the state to the extent of their taxes paid are joint owners in approximately 1,700,000 acres of forest lands, and,

Whereas, We believe the majority of them are ignorant of its existing condition, therefore be it

Resolved, That we urge the Conservation Commission to immediately proceed to take as actual inventory of its property and establish definite boundaries, be it further

Resolved, That we suggest that the Conservation Commission through its publicity bureau, inform the people of its true condition, and demand such legislation as will enable it to commence work that will make this property forever self-sustaining and reproductive, and be it further

Resolved, That we recommend that the various agencies working for education in forestry in the state, not only continue, but enlarge the great work which it is doing to educate the people to a realization of what trees, woods, and forests will mean to future generations.

6. Whereas, We disapprove of a change in management of our natural resources with every changing administration, therefore, be it

Resolved, That we urge the enactment of a law that will fulfill, as nearly as possible, the plan as adopted by the last Constitutional Convention for a perpetuating commission.

7. Whereas, The right development of forest utilization, especially along lines of the manufacturer of pulp and paper,

depends largely upon sound investigative work, such as carried on in the U. S. Forest Products Laboratory at Madison, Wisconsin, therefore, be it

Resolved, That this association favors the development of forest laboratories at the state-supported educational institutions, and be it further

Resolved, That this association urges the Legislature of this state to give sufficient support for the right development of these laboratories.

8. Whereas, There is an immense annual waste of wealth due to the non-regulation of the waters of the rivers of the state, therefore, be it

Resolved, That we urge the prompt establishment of river regulating reservoirs as provided by the present law.

9. Whereas, The forced interpretation of Section 7, Article 7 of the State Constitution, by various state officers has resulted in preventing the people of this state from enjoying their rights in the Adirondack Park, therefore, be it

Resolved, That the Conservation Commission be requested to pass regulations which will place an intelligent interpretation on said Section 7, Article 7, and permit the use of the dead and down trees for camp fires and other purposes, and will permit the building of roads and other means of cheap and ready transportation.

10. Resolved, That we commend the very efficient services rendered to this association by its officers and committees.

PRESIDENT OSTRANDER: You have all heard the reading of the resolution. Does anybody wish to speak with reference to its adoption? Mr. Moore, would you mind reading that preamble again?

After a brief discussion the resolutions were adopted in their amended form.

PRESIDENT OSTRANDER: If there is no other business, we will adjourn until the afternoon session.

AFTERNOON SESSION.

MR. OSTRANDER:

Gentlemen; come down to the front

to cheer up the presiding officers and the speakers.

Gentlemen, the meeting will be in order please. Conservation Commissioner Pratt has honored us by coming up here and is about to read a paper to us on the subject which is of great interest to all of us and we bespeak for him very careful attention. I introduce Commissioner Pratt.

COMMISSIONER PRATT: As I speak of the inventory made in 1903 I am sorry that no inventory has been made since that time because I think the present figures would bear out the figures of 1903. Your president invited me to speak to you this afternoon on the subject of "Public Policy in Relation to Lumbering in the State of New York." I accepted the invitation, making, however, a slight change in the subject, which now reads: "Public Policy in Relation to the Management of the Forest Lands in the State of New York." The real difference in the subjects is in the substitution of the words "Management of the Forest Lands" for the word "Lumbering." The reason that I made this suggestion was that I felt, as Conservation Commissioner of the State, that any public policy affecting the forests must contemplate not only lumbering, but also other important interests which have a relation to the forests. I deemed it improper to formulate a public policy without considering all of the affected activities, instead of a single one that is closely related with others.

The people of the state are greatly interested in and affected by the management of all forest property, both publicly and privately owned. The best information available shows that the forest and woodlot area of the state is approximately twelve million acres, which is nearly forty per cent of the total area of the state. Much less than one-half of this forest and woodlot area is situated in the Adirondack and Catskill mountain sections, which we think of as the great forest regions of the state. To this area of twelve million acres may be added other lands which are used as farms, but which are better suited for forests, the total making fifty per cent of the state, which could best be devoted to forest production.

I wish to focus your attention for a moment upon this fact, in order that you may appreciate that there is a vast area, far more than one-half of our total forest area, which does not lie in the major portion of either the Adirondack or Catskill mountain regions. These lands are, as a rule, of

much better soil, are situated in a more moderate climate, and have a greater productive capacity than our more mountainous sites.

I assume that you gentlemen are more particularly interested in the Adirondack lands, as most of you are operating in that section of the state. The central portion of the Adirondack region is called the Adirondack Park. Of this, the state is the owner of forty-eight per cent, fifteen per cent is found in private parks, and about twenty-three per cent is owned by lumber and pulp companies. Therefore, as a matter of area, sixty-three per cent of the Adirondack region is held for park purposes and less than onequarter for commercial lumber and pulp wood productions.

You all know that the Constitution of the State prohibits lumbering on state land. This policy was adopted for the preservation of the forests, which serve as a protection to the watershed, and which are important for a future supply of timber. Their preservation is further necessary for the indirect benefits which accrue through hunting, fishing, camping and recreation.

The land which the state owns is not situated in solid bodies by itself but is to a great extent intermixed with private holdings. As commissioner, I am charged not only with the protection of these state lands from trespass, but also with the protection from fire of a vast area aggregating about seven and one-half million acres, nearly four-fifths of which is privately owned land. We are endeavoring to do all that we can to protect this vast publicly and privately owned resource from forest fire destruction. It is not necessary for me to go into detail in regard to the fire fighting organization, or to explain how we carry on the work, because you are all familiar with it. I do, however, wish to impress upon you the fact that, no matter how efficient this organization may be, or who has to take the responsibility for fire protection, proper results cannot be obtained unless there are certain precautionary steps taken to reduce the fire hazard. We can not have forest fires unless there is something to burn. We all realize that as a result of lumbering there is always left upon the ground a large amount of slash and litter, which, in times of drought, becomes dry and inflammable. If a spark gets into this slash, a great conflagration can be easily started, and, under extreme con

ditions, disastrous results are very likely to follow. Lumbering operations not only leave the slash, but they open up the forest cover, which permits this debris and the soil to become drier, thereby greatly increasing the fire danger. The point that I want to make in this connection is, that not only lumbering, but also the intensity in the character of the lumbering operations, are factors which we must consider in forest fire protection. I mean that they are both factors which we must consider in providing for the safety of all the property, both state and private.

In formulating a forest policy, I have to take into consideration the vast resource which the state owns, and the steps which are necessary to protect it. I have to consider also the vast areas of private property, both where there are lumbering operations, and where none are anticipated. I feel that the private owner should not go ahead and operate as he pleases and thus create a condition which is liable not only to destroy his own property, but that of his neighbor of the state as well. In other words, I feel that the operation must be of such a character as not to seriously increase the fire hazard. It is not necessary for me to say anything regarding the fearfulness or destructiveness of forest fires. There are too many monuments which fires have erected to their own memory in our forest regions, which you have often observed. We must profit by the past and safeguard the remnant for the future.

The question of the destruction of timber by forest fires, however, is not the only question to be considered. There are investments of great importance in the Adirondacks that are not investments in timber land. For example, I find that an inventory made in 1903 shows that there were hotel accommodations at that time for 130,000 people; that during that year 451,000 people were accommodated; that 140,000 of them remained for more than two weeks; and that 79,000 came from without the state. There was then invested in these hotel improvements, $16,427,000, exclusive of land. Caring for tourists gave employment for 26,400 people, to whom $1,130,000 in wages were paid, exclusive of board. The receipts of these numerous places during the season of 1903 were $8,725,000. In a similar manner, other statistics could be gathered showing investments, employment of labor and receipts in transportation, mercantile

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