FORESTER'S REPORT. 63 



These properties cost but $45,277, or an average of $3.30 per 

 acre. In a State like New Jersey therefore they are almost sure 

 to be a good investment, even when the charge for administration 

 and protection is added. 



COMPENSATION TO TOWNSHIPS. 



The communities in which the reserves are located are taken 

 care of by the law (Comp. Stat. p. 2609) providing for the annual 

 payment to the local treasury of two cents for each acre of land 

 held by the State and therefore exempt from tax. The amount 

 is fair in all cases except that of the smallest reserve. 



TRESPASS. 



Trespass in the State forests is practically unknown. In two in- 

 stances small amounts of wood were cut on Bass River Reserve but 

 it was easily shown that the crossing of a partly obscured line was 

 unintentional. Settlement was made by requiring payment of the 

 market price of the wood. Neither case warranted the imposition of 

 a penalty. The respect that is universally accorded the State's 

 property may be ascribed to the vigorous prosecution of every of- 

 fender, combined with a liberal policy regarding every reasonable 

 use of the land. That is, the people have perfect freedom on the 

 reserves to hunt, fish or do what they will but they must do no 

 damage nor remove anything of value except wild berries. See 

 Fig. 2. 



MARKING BOUNDARIES. 



Considerable time has been given to making resurveys of some of 

 the reserve boundaries, and to setting permanent corners. This 

 work is slow, but it is important to establish definitely and to 

 mark permanently the boundaries of the land belonging to the 

 State. This work will be continued and in some cases boundaries 

 will be marked by thinning the forest in a belt two rods wide, or 

 by planting belts of exotic trees, instead of by the usual folazes. 

 The purpose of this is to make the lines permanent. A blazed or 

 cleared line is soon obscured by new growth while a "thinned" 

 line becomes more and more distinguishable through the stimulated 

 growth of the favored trees, the suppression of undergrowth and 

 the consequent contrast with the surrounding forest. See p. 66, also 

 - 3- 



