HE would indeed be a pessimist who could not see in the 

 laws of the last legislature a bright prospect for the cause 

 of forestry in Minnesota. Almost all of the bills proposed 

 by the state forestry board were passed and the appropriations, 

 viewed in the light of past years, were generous. A number 

 of needed alterations were made in the old law to increase its 

 efficiency, and strenghten the weak spots discovered in the two 

 years it has been in ope ation, and some new features were 

 added to it. 



Twenty-five hundred dollars was appropriated for the care 

 and maintenance of Burntside State Forest, a 28,000 acre tract, 

 in the beautiful lake country around Ely. This little forest 

 is an ideal summer resort country and is altogether too little 

 known. It is hoped that the building of trails, the improve- 

 ment of portages and the complete protection of the tract 

 from, fire will improve its attractiveness. 



The constitutional amendment providing for the purchase of 

 non-agricultural lands is one of the most important acts of the 

 last legislature so far as the cause of forestry is concerned. 

 It is one that should receive the endorsement of the people at 

 the polls next election. 



Itasca park received the lion's share of attention. Strange 

 as it may seem the lumbermen still own a large part of the 

 timber within the park limits. The source of the great Mis- 

 sissippi, an object of interest to the whole United States, and 

 a spot beautiful on account of its forests, it has in the past 

 been impossible to impress upon the legislature that it was no 

 less than a sacred duty to purchase this timber and preserve 

 the forests for future generations. At last the realization has 

 come and the legislature of 1913 has appropriated $250,000 for 

 the purchase of the private lands and timber within the bound- 

 aries, making the park a park in fact instead of a patch on 

 the map. 



