TRANSFORMATION OF WILD OR NATURAL WOODS. 139 



kept as wild forest lands " the application of any system 

 of forest management by which the rich products of an 

 area, containing nearly one million acres of woodland, 

 may be utilized. Our Forest commissioners, therefore, 

 can hardly be blamed when they construed their duty 

 to preserve the State forests only as a direction to secure 

 the forests from the ax of the lumberman, and from the 

 torch of the careless or wilful incendiary. * 



During the last few years, however, when it became 

 more and more apparent that our State forests, under the 

 present laws and management, could not be preserved, 

 but that their deforestation was progressing to such a 

 degree that the watersheds of our principal rivers were 

 imperilled, a large number of the most prominent men 

 in the city and State of New York commenced a move- 

 ment which culminated last year in the formation of the 

 Adirondack Park Association for the purpose of greatly 

 enlarging the territory of our State woodlands, and pre- 

 serving the forests more efficiently by advocating the 

 application of a systematic management of the woods. 



This is a very timely movement which undoubtedly 

 will make a lasting mark upon the history of the polit- 

 ical economy of our State. As just before mentioned, we 

 possess among our citizens many who are both theoreti- 

 cally and practically well acquainted with all matters 

 pertaining to the growth and reproduction of forest-trees, 

 and with the exploitation of woodlands. Such men, if 

 endowed with good executive ability and assisted by 

 experienced civil engineers, could be safely entrusted 

 with the introduction of a systematic management of our 

 State forests. Generally speaking, their efforts would be 

 directed : 



(a) To insure the permanency of tree-growth. 



(b) To develop and increase, after a well-considered 



* See Report of the St. For. Com. for 1888, p. VI. 



