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ECHOES FROM THE EMPIRE STATE FOREST PRODUCTS ASSOCIATION MEETING

Opening the recent convention of the Empire State Forest Products Convention, President George N. Ostrander, said: "Unless the principles of our government are to prevail, the great industries which we are striving to develop and protect may not be worth the effort. The American business man has responded unselfishly and generously, and is conducting his business for the purpose of assisting the government in the conduct of the war, rather than for the normal purpose of profit." In a similar vein, Director James W. Toumey of the Yale Forest School, pointed out the economic strength of the warring European nations in reserves of forest capital and discussed the economic aspects of reforestation in this country.

Prof. Ralph S. Hosmer, head of the Forestry Department at the State College of Agriculture, suggested a tax on the yield of forest properties as a solution of present taxation drawbacks to forestry practice and quoted Professor Fairchild of Yale on the advantages of this system.

Dealing with fire as another obstacle, Mr. S. L. de Cartaret of the Timberlands Mutual Fire Insurance Company explained the feasibility of fire insurance on forest properties.

Dr. E. H. Hall, Secretary of the Association for the Protection of the Adirondacks, pointed out the part the State could play in taxation and insurance and Mr. Ellwood Wilson of the Laurentide Paper Co., Quebec, spoke on the necessity for reforestation.

The Empire State Forest Products Association was formed in 1906 and at present its membership includes the leading lumberman and the pulp and paper manufacturers of the State. It is the first association of its kind to employ a forester, Prof. A. B. Recknagel of Cornell University having been granted a year's leave of absense in order to undertake this work.

THE PALISADES INTERSTATE PARK

A Paper Read at Lake Placid by Dr. Edward L. Partridge

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HE Acts of the State Legislatures of New York and New Jersey state that the Palisades Interstate Park Commission is designed for the selection, location, appropriation and management of certain lands along the Palisades of the Hudson river for an interstate park and thereby to preserve the scenery of the Palisades,— and for the extension and improvement of lands in the Counties of Rockland and Orange for park purposes."

The subject of which I speak may not appear to have a proper place in the deliberations of a forestry association, but I am hoping before I complete my remarks that my hearers will find the justification. Eight years ago-1909-a bill was taken to the Senate and Assembly of the State of New York, by me, which proposed, "To create a forest reservation in the highlands of the Hudson river, to be known as the Highlands of the Hudson Forest Reservation, to provide for its regulation, and making an appropriation therefor."

Mr. Merritt, well known to the residents of this, the Adirondack region,-spent half an hour over it, and then said, "I will introduce this bill in the Assembly. Mr. Wainwright presented it to the Senate.

The area proposed by this act was about one hundred and twentyfive square miles, and excepted from its provisions, water supply requirements to villages, and rights of the U. S. Government at West Point, and lands suitable for residential and home purposes. The control was to lie in the Forest, Fish and Game Commission, now known as the Conservation Commission.

One interesting provision I read as follows: "It is hereby made the duty of the said Commission to preserve, care for, lay out and improve the said forest reservation, and to superintend and control the cutting of timber upon the lands included within the boundaries described, in the first section of this act, both public and such private lands as are suitable for the growth of timber only, to the end that the

forest and timber upon such lands shall be protected and the growth thereof encouraged, and to protect and preserve the same from forest fires."

About this time, Mr. Gifford Pinchot, of the National Forestry Bureau, and Mr. Whipple, of the New York State Commission, were presenting to the public, strong evidence that ruthless and indiscriminate cutting and destruction of the nation's woodlands,—if continued as in the past, must lead to timber famine within twenty-five years.

This bill passed both houses, and was signed by Governor Hughes. Mr. Whipple immediately took charge, and Mr. Moon, now professor in the Syracuse University, was installed in immediate charge as local forester.

This, I believe, was the first application of the "Police Power of the State" upon indiscriminate and wasteful cutting of timber upon lands privately owned, and the first recognition of the suitability of such application on the part of National and State Government.

To increase general safety and advantage to those who use the highways and roads was, at a remote period, the reason for the application of the "Police Power of the State" to direct that drivers, on meeting and passing each other, should turn to the right. Doubtless there were those, then, who protested at such dictation. Does anyone question this now?

Today, more than ever in the history of the world, do we not recognize the propriety and requirement of government intervention, the application of a police power, as conditions demand it.

Give, therefore, to the park idea in behalf of the highlands of the Hudson, a justified relation to the cause of forestry for this initial step in forest conservation.

For a year following, under the direction of Professor Moon, thorough examination and discriminating mapping of the reservation proceeded, and educational efforts were undertaken by use of lantern slides with the oil lamp, and talks among the mountaineers, under adverse and trying conditions in these back woods. A campaign of education in behalf of conservation of timber was conducted with, at the same time, every effort to demonstrate the value of such discriminating cutting as

would make the region valuable to these choppers, who were sometimes owners as well, in the development of a region especially attractive to any buyer seeking a large estate. For one hundred and fifty years

timber had been treated, as grass is mowed, with all the attendant, destructive results to the land, so well known to all of you,-and never did re-foresting take place. This was a true "cord-wood country and the ignorant and predatory, who percieve the present moment only, bought land at five to ten dollars an acre, cut every tree to the ground, abandoned the land,-payment of taxes never being made, an immediate and meagre financial return.

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No region could have served better to instruct large numbers of those of our State population, who were uninformed or thoughtless, upon the correct and conservative treatment of forest land for, bear in mind, that its location was within forty miles of the largest city in the United States, and therein was to be a great and accessible object lesson!

Now I pass to an interesting and closely related story. During the two or three years of work upon this proposition, I learned that the late Edward H. Harriman, who loved the Highlands, had become personally familiar with them, and had acquired large tracts therein,—had in contemplation that this same area, near the City of New York, must be made, some day, into a great park as a resort for those of all classes, living in and near the City of New York. He had been kept familiar with the progress of the work as described, and had expressed his approval, feeling that it prepared the way for the carrying out of his intentions. He had practiced forestry upon his own adjacent lands, and fully appreciated its importance.

Subsequently to his death, Mrs. Harriman, possessing the same love of these Highlands, thoughtfully and as a memorial, proceeded to the completion of that of which he had thought and dreamed. From his estate, she offered to the State of New York, in 1910, as a gift, ten thousand acres of land and one million dollars.

Generous givers added to this a million and a half dollars, and the State met these gifts by a bond issue of two and a half million dollars. Rather than to create a new park commission, bills were

passed by the Legislature to enable the Palisades Interstate Park Commission to take jurisdiction over these lands, to which more was to be added by purchase.

These lands in the Highlands of the Hudson afforded opportunity for many and various uses, including of course that of forestry development, and two controls,—one the Forest Reservation under the Conservation Commission and the other being the Interstate Park,covering, as they would have done, the same lands, the act which created the forest could not have worked satisfactorily, and was repealed. Just here I must state briefly the story of the Palisades Interstate Park Commission. In 1895, Mr. George W. Perkins, perceiving the progress of destruction, by quarrying, of the interesting, rare and beautiful feature of the Hudson river scenery in the fourteen miles of trap rock constituting the "Palisades," boldly took the initial step towards their protection. These fourteen miles of unique river scenery began in New Jersey, above Fort Lee and opposite New York City, and continuing uninterruptedly, were then privately owned. Today, all but six hundred feet of these Palisades is owned by the States of New Jersey and New York, and secure for all time as an asset of unusual beauty to our wonderful Hudson river scenery. New York is as much-if not more-interested in this, for while the Palisades are in New Jersey, New York looks at them. In 1900, a permanent body known as the Palisades Interstate Park Commission came into existence. This consists of five members from New York and the same number from the State of New Jersey, appointed by both governors.

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The developments of the Palisades Interstate Park, as they exist today, are the Palisades region, where, with a background of rock formation for fourteen miles, lie seven hundred acres,—the rock formation being unbroken and rising 350 to 500 feet.

Natural bathing beaches have been further developed by adding crusher screenings, so that at one of these alone, the average daily attendance was eight hundred, principally mothers and children,—with an average of fifteen hundred on Sundays and holidays,—and this in the summer of 1916 when, because of polomyelitis, quarantine of several adjacent boroughs greatly reduced the number of visitors.

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