BOUNDARIES

The most difficult task in connection with the administration of State lands is the location of the boundaries. It is a well established principle that the lines as located by original surveys must govern. The major portion of such original surveys were made a century or more ago and, in the interval, through fire and lumbering, many of the monuments made by the original surveyors have been destroyed. It is, therefore, a difficult task, in many instances, for the rangers, who are charged with the protection of the Preserve, to determine the lines. This work is further complicated by the fact that oftentimes subsequent and erroneous lines have been made by incompetent surveyors. If the Forest Preserve is to be maintained and protected, the first principle of forest administration, namely, the location of the boundaries, must be systematically and energetically carried on. During the past year there was no appropriation for this work. There are at the present time a large number of cases in which surveys are imperative in order to determine whether or not trespasses have been committed. The old monuments are rapidly disappearing, and the work can be done more economically at the present than in the future. The establishment of these lines will have a very beneficial effect in reducing trespass and, furthermore, enable us to secure greater efficiency from the forest rangers.

TITLES

The fact that the State is the owner of such a large area, title to which has been acquired in various ways, naturally produces some cases in which there are persons who claim adversely to the State. In 1897 the State purchased from the Indian River Company townships 15 and 32, Totten and Crossfield's Purchase, nearly all of which was in Hamilton county. There were upon township 15, at the time of the purchase, several families. There has been pending for several years action against these occupants to determine title. During the past year this office, in co-operation with the Attorney-General's office, made a careful examination of the State's title. Old deeds not on record were discovered and recorded and thereby we established a perfect title subject to cer

tain claims of adverse possession. A survey of the township and the occupancies has been made and all the facts submitted to the court. As a result, title to nearly the entire township has been perfected and, by judicial determination, vested in the State. There are other cases where similar procedure should be taken.

UTILIZATION

The Forest Preserve to-day contains over 1,825,000 acres of land, an area twice the size of the State of Rhode Island, larger than the State of Delaware, and about half the size of the State of Connecticut. It embraces nearly 7,000 parcels situated in sixteen counties, intermixed with approximately five times as large an area of private property, and is bounded by over 9,000 miles of lines. The topography, character and forest growth is as diversified as is its distribution. The best statistics which we have as to its classification are as follows:

Virgin forest

Lumbered lands

Denuded lands

Water ..

70,000 acres 1,434,000 acres

120,000 acres

201,000 acres

This area includes some of the most valuable forests in the entire State. The value of the entire holdings from a commercial standpoint has been variously estimated, but $30,000,000 would be a low appraisal.

The use of this great area is a matter of vital importance. The constitutional provision practically prevents any direct use, except for camping, hunting and fishing; and the indirect benefit is protection to the watersheds. The entire wood production on this enormous area is at present a total loss because, on the average, decay equals the growth. It is fair to say that 1,250,000 acres are covered with heavy forest growth. A portion of this area has never been lumbered, and large areas have not been cut over in a quarter of a century. If we assume that the average annual growth per acre is 200 feet, this, in the aggregate, means an annual wood crop of 250,000,000 feet of lumber. Under proper forest management the annual growth could be taken each year and still the necessary forest would be maintained. Proper forest

methods do not mean denudation of the Adirondacks, or destruction of the forest cover. This annual growth of 250,000,000 feet is approximately one-quarter the entire lumber cut of the State. It represents the amount that would be secured by clear cutting each year approximately 25,000 acres of land. If cut into inch boards there would be sufficient lumber to build a board walk 160 feet wide from Albany to Buffalo.

The discussion preliminary to the establishment of the Forest Preserve indicates that its purpose was to provide for a future supply of timber, and to serve as a protection to the headwaters of streams, also for resort and recreation purposes; but all these ends could be accomplished, and at the same time the growth of the timber be utilized. The present constitution, however, practically prevents any use of this great area. Article VII, section 7, of the State Constitution, reads as follows:

"All lands now owned or hereafter acquired constituting the forest preserve, as now defined by law, shall be forever kept as wild forest lands, they shall not be leased, sold or exchanged, or taken by any corporation, public or private, nor shall the timber thereon be sold, removed or destroyed."

During the two decades since that provision was adopted important economic, industrial and administrative changes have taken place. At that time there was but a slight appreciation of the importance of scientific forestry; there was not a single American school of forestry, and probably not more than five professional foresters in the whole country. The forests were then generally considered as something the maximum quantity of which was fixed and not capable of reproduction or increase by growth. The area included has increased from 720,744 acres to more than 1,800,000 acres; our population has grown from 6,000,000 to 9,000,000 people. It is, therefore, apparent that the prohibition was made at a time when there was but 40 per cent. of the present area, 60 per cent. of the present population, and when the quantity of material affected was but a small part of the whole. However, at the present time, the timber on State land is a large portion of our total forest resources. It is estimated that the amount of standing timber in the Forest Preserve counties in 1894 was