Pkoceedings of Seventeenth Normal, Institute 205 



The amount of non-agricultural land in the different counties 



of iSTew York State, not including counties situated within the 



Adirondack and Catskill Parks, is as follows : 



There are twenty counties which contain between 5,000 and 20,000 

 acres of land needing reforesting. There are twelve counties which 

 contain between 20,000 and 50,000 acres of land needing reforesting. 

 There are twelve counties which contain between 50,000 and 100,000 acres 

 of land needing reforesting. 



This gives us a total of 44 counties, each of which contains 

 sufficient land needing reforesting for a county forest. What 

 reason is there why counties or towns should not acquire the 

 areas of denuded land and devastated forests within their limits 

 under the provisions of Section 74 of the Laws of 1912 and ad- 

 minister them as county forests ? Such lands administered under 

 j>roper forestry methods would yield a very satisfactory revenue 

 which could be used in paying the expenses of the county or 

 town. 



Woodlands, from which the larger timber trees have been re- 

 moved' in lumbering operations, may be secured at relatively low 

 prices. Such woodlands may be developed by removing poor tree 

 species and favoring the young growth of valuable tree species. 

 Open spaces in such forests may be planted. Such forests would 

 yield considerable revenue from the sale of wood removed by im- 

 proving the stand. 



The county or town holding forest lands would not be taxed 

 upon them. Village forests outside of the corporate limits of 

 the village would be subject to taxation in the town in which 

 thev are located, unless classified under one of the forest taxation 

 laws of this state. In the administration of the county or town 

 forest, inmates of county institutions could be used to furnish 

 labor. Such labor would cost the county practically nothing, 

 since otherwise many of these inmates would be unemployed and 

 would be an expense to the county. 



In conclusion should like to emphasize the fact that small 

 areas of non-agricultural land included in farms ought to be re- 

 forested by the farmers owning them if these farmers are in a 

 financial position to do so. More extensive tracts of land which 

 are remotely situated where they may be easily separated from 

 farm lands — for example, hilltops and other extensive areas of 

 non-agricultural land — may be administered to better advantage 



