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Docks exist to the number of fourteen, which permit the landing of those coming from the city, and from the east side of the Hudson river, and there are basins for motor boats.

Extensive playgrounds have been made through the placing of retaining walls.

A ferry company, from Dyckman street, New York City, brings, on a ten minute schedule, to the Palisades at Englewood, large numbers of foot and automobile visitors. Here, a perfect automobile road, one and a half miles long, climbs to the cliffs,-another being under construction five miles farther up the river, and between these, for this distance of five miles, an "automobile trail" is nearly finished. This road furnishes a very extraordinary view of the Palisades, from below. The Commission's Forestry Department has been active. Dead and broken trees, brush and debris have been removed or burned, much good timber removed, and prepared in our saw mills for dock building and other purposes,-while spruce, whitewood, locust and pine have been planted extensively, all an object lesson to be seen by many thousands who would fail to understand through didactic instruction. This long, though narrow strip contained a small forest of untouched and very large and vigorous growth.

Here, camping by working men and boys is encouraged through small charge for sites, and large numbers are kept from city streets, who embrace an opportunity for a life, healthful to body and morale. For the development work in this Palisades region the State of New Jersey contributes five hundred thousand dollars.

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Bluefields," near Nyack in New York, with six hundred acres,formerly an unsatisfactory State rifle range and now given to the commission by the State of New York,-affords a fine camping area for young working women. It is difficult to keep up with increasing demands here. At this situation there has been planting.

Hook Mountain Section. Here, after protracted condemnation proceedings, the Commission has acquired all of the seven hundred acres, which were quarry properties. The elevations above the river were 600 to 800 feet, with river facing, and will require time for the disfiguring results of the past to disappear. Park development is planned and will follow.

The Commission's greatest area, of twenty-seven thousand acres, lies in Rockland and Orange counties, and has been made possible through appropriations from New York State of five million dollars, and gifts to the same amount from individuals,—a total of ten million dollars, and by Mrs. Harriman's original gift of ten thousand acres of land. This area of woodland has been described briefly, already.

In this section are nine mountain lakes, and three more under construction.

Of highways, second to none in the State, are eighteen miles, and one hundred and thirty miles of trails.

Campers have numbered forty-five thousand during this present season, finding the lakes affording benefit and pleasure. The permanent residents are few in number.

Upwards of three million of trees have been planted, after suitable preparation for them. Fire protection is thorough, with observation stations, patrol and telephone. The mountaineers (who everywhere possess a code of their own) have been won over.

What is known as the Bear Mountain Inn, a self-sustaining day resort, -on a site which was once intended for a state prison to replace Sing Sing, commands an unsurpassed Hudson river view. On one day during the past summer the Bear Mountain Inn and immediate surroundings, which include Hessian pond and the sites of Forts Clinton and Montgomery, were visited by four thousand seven hundred automobiles, and twenty thousand individuals from boats. Hessian pond, a beautiful mountain lake, derives its name from the fact that the bodies of Hessians who were killed during the attack upon the American forts, Clinton and Montgomery, by the English in October, 1777, were thrown into this water as a more simple disposition than that of burial.

Furthermore, it is interesting to know that at Fort Montgomery, in April, 1777, George Clinton received notice of his election as the first governor of the State of New York, and that the fort was, essentially, the first "executive chambers" of our State.

The Highway Department of the State of New York recognizes aid from the Commission, for roads built by it, for the six hundred foot steel arch bridge, 140 feet above the river, known as "Popolopen

Bridge," and for its active assisting relation to the condemnation proceedings which make the "Storm King Road" possible. With the completion of this piece of road, from West Point to Cornwall, a direct highway communication will have been accomplished between New York and Albany, upon the west side of the Hudson river, which will view the river four-fifths of the way to Albany.

In closing, I again allude to the services which the Palisades Interstate Park Commission has rendered to the cause of forestry, and to this Adirondack region.

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Because of allied interests, "Proposition Number 1" was voted upon in this State in November, 1916,-a proposition to issue State bonds to the amount of ten million dollars for the acquisition of lands for State park purposes,-seven and one-half million dollars to be used for the extension of the Adirondack and Catskill parks of the Forest Preserve under the direction of the Conservation Commission; the remaining two and one-half million dollars to be expended for lands to be acquired by the Commissioners of the Palisades Interstate Park."

New York City and immediate vicinity brought to this a majority vote of two hundred and sixty thousand, which majority was reduced to one hundred and fifty thousand by the vote elsewhere through the State, And, I believe it is true, that no Adirondack county gave a majority in favor of this bond issue.

To popularize a cause, to make it generally intelligible to the common people, in connection with the pleasures of life, is an asset in the popular vote.

I venture to say that,-to use the language of Forestry, the work of the Commission exhibits "young and vigorous growth."

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VIEWPOINTS

A Page or Two of Editorials and Communications Open at all times to members for the expression of their opinions

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He outlines briefly the principles which should govern such legislation, as follows:

(1) General welfare demands that waterpower be developed.

(2) In order to maintain effective control, waterpower sites must remain in the hands of the people. They are the owners.

(3) Sound, attractive, and profitable lease provisions, for terms not to exceed 50 years should be held out to attract private capital where public development is not desired.

(4) Rates should be regulated by Federal, State or local authorities to protect the people from extortion.

(5) Monopoly must be prevented by requiring reasonably prompt and complete development and continuous operation, subject to market conditions.

(6) Corporations or individuals who make money out of rights granted by the people, should share their profits with the people.

(7) The public has a right to complete information about every business based on the use of public property.

Mr. Agar's timely article in this issue and Mr. Pinchot's letter will help to clarify the thought of New York State Forestry Association members on the subject of waterpower, and our annual meeting should see the adoption of a strong resolution on this subject.

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RURAL DISTRICTS and even cities may do a good deal at the present time to conserve the short

Wood Fuel coal supply by utilizing to the woodlot trees which have Rescue no other good value than as fuel.

New England agricultural and conservation agencies have gotten together in a conference endeavoring to secure a pledge from timberland owners to cut a definite number of cords of wood and here in New York we find the College of Agriculture suggesting that Grange Halls and country churches be heated with wood instead of coal. The State College of Forestry has also sug gested the use of wood for fuel wher ever possible and its extension men have been called out on several occa

sions to mark trees in woodlots to be

cut for this purpose. In many in

stances a use for fuel wood will enable timberland owners to get rid of poor specimens and at the same time improve the quality of the stand of timber in their care.

Incidentally some of us who believe in the use of wood for fuel will have to pay a little more for our heat this winter, use limbs as well as "body" wood, and by shoving an occasional chunk of wood into the furnace fire we can all help.

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Mrs. Whiton's Contribution

THE NEW YORK STATE FORESTRY Association gratefully acknowledges the contribution by Mrs. Henry D. Whiton of New York of the $100 which is offered by the Association through the cooperation with the University of the State of New York to the school children of certain sections of the State, for the destroying of Tussock Moth Egg Masses. The enormous value of the publicity given by the University to this campaign through its Bulletin which is posted in eleven thousand schools in the State makes the enterprize a notable one, and should do much for conservation in attracting the attention of schools and children to the preservation of trees.

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