SUMMER MEETING. 281 



century. Many holders of wild lands, after the pine has been cut 

 ofif, especially where the land is very roujfh, very sandy or very 

 rocky and mostly unfit for farm lands and has no minerals, would 

 be ^^lad to devote such lands to the ^rowin^ of timber ag'ain were 

 it not for the burden of taxes and the compound interest on the 

 satne for a third of a century. 



What I desire to sujf^est is, that a sufficient number of the larger 

 holders of pine lands in Minnesota meet and discuss the feasibility 

 of appointing a committee to ascertain facts, consult the best au- 

 thorities on forestry and to consider the legal and political ques- 

 tions involved, as well as the difificulties in the way of maintaining- 

 forest areas in regions of country interspersed with rich farming 

 areas; all inquiries to be prosecuted with a view of making an offer 

 to the state through the governor in time so he too may well con- 

 sider the offer, to be by him submitted to the legislature with his 

 recommendations, on the following lines, to-wit: 



First:— Any person so desiring may deed any such lauds or other 

 lands to the state for the purpose of growing forests, when such 

 lands have been examined and recommended to be received by the 

 state as a part of its "Reserved Forest Area." Such examination 

 and recommendation to be made by the town or ccAinty forestry 

 commissioners, as may be provided by the legislature. For econ- 

 omy the regular county commissioners could be constituted the 

 county forestry' commissioners, and the town supervisors could be 

 constituted the town forestry commissioners, the county and town 

 forestry commissioners to be advised and instructed by a state 

 forestry board, if one shall be constituted, otherwise by the state 

 laud commissioner, who is the state forestry commissioner. A 

 proper record would of course be provided, and certificates given to 

 Lcrantors as evidence for use of beneficiaries. 



Second: — Such lands becoming the lands of the state for public 

 benefit, for the health of the people, for preserving the water courses 

 and water bodies of the state and such humidity of atmosphere as 

 we now possess, of course would be exempt from taxation. Even if 

 the title were held by the donors for public use, as in the case of 

 highwaj'S and public grounds, still it would be legal to exempt 

 them from taxes because dedicated to public use. 



Third: — It could not be expected that private persons would 

 donate large estates to the public without compensation. The state 

 could not undertake to pay a direct price, but could undertake to 

 make compensation in the following manner, greatly to the advant- 

 age of the state and its people, including its future finances, as well 

 as to many of its struggling colleges and schools, and, finally, 

 greatly to the interest and advantage of the grantor: that is, in the 

 future vast revenues would accrue from the public forest lands. 

 These revenues, I would have divided sotnething as follows: 



1st:— One-third to go to the state to reimburse it for outlay in pro- 

 tection from fires, re-planting or re-seeding and generally for care 

 and management; a portion of this third should go to the towns 

 and counties where located to reimburse them for public improve- 

 ments made, such as roads, etc., which the forest resL-rves would not 

 be taxed for directly. 



