Comment 585 



of aspect grew also, namely, the more and more increasing use 

 of the Preserve for recreation purposes: hence the economic 

 aspects fell into the background, the park idea became uppermost. 



"The State of New York, being rich, can perhaps well afford 

 to leave out of consideration the industrial element of the forest 

 resources, and develop the pleasure park idea and incidentally 

 the watershed protection. The amended constitution should, then, 

 deliberately declare the policy that the State lands are to be 

 administered with the park idea uppermost. 



"That eventually a real forest management, keeping in mind 

 all the forest benefits, the economic as well as the esthetic, might 

 be developed is amply proved by examples from France and 

 Germany, where pleasure seekers are not excluded from the 

 forest ; and it seems to me that the Constitution should at least 

 not prevent that possibility. It is for that reason that I would 

 favor the reading of the overture by Mr. Smith, which allows 

 'the cutting, removal and sale by the State of timber ("and trees" 

 should be added), which are dead, fallen or mature, or which 

 are detrimental to forest growth' ; to which I would add a per- 

 missive planting clause. 



"This allows a rational management of conservative character 

 with the park idea uppermost. 



"It would, of course, be incongruous, when planting and im- 

 provements of forest growth are permitted, to retain the wording 

 of the present clause of the Constitution, which retains the lands 

 as 'wild' lands. 



"When the first Forest Commission was organized, a technical 

 forest management was intended, but the entire lack at that 

 time of a technically educated personnel made such management 

 impossible. When, in 1893, the Constitutional Convention adopted 

 the paragraph prohibiting the State from practising forestry on 

 its own lands — which was done from fear of the Forest Com- 

 mission letting in the lumberman — conditions as regards technical 

 personnel had not changed, and it was wise enough to delay 

 the attempt at forestry management. 



"Since then, a crop of foresters has grown up, and it would be 

 possible to organize an efficient service of practical and technically 

 educated men. The only reason for introductiong a Commission 

 would be to act as a buffer and to represent and defend before 

 the public and in the political councils the policies and actions of 

 the forest service. 



"This would be best done by an unpaid Commission headed by 

 the Governor, in which the technical superintendent of the Service 

 has a place and three or four outside members, representative of 

 such associations as the Scenic and Historic Society, the Camp 

 Fire Club, the Society for the Protection of the Adirondacks and 



