THE FOREST PARKS OF NEW YORK 



By JOHN S, KENNEDY 

 Secretary, Public Service Commission, Second District, Albany, N. Y. 



THERE is no section of country in providing for a commission to super- 

 all the world with more beauti- vise the forest regions. From that 

 ful forests than the populous time much reclaiming work was done, 

 State of New York. To the thought- many experiments in tree garden work 

 less observer it may seem strange that, made, and a considerable amount of 

 with its great and apparently closely wild forest land acquired by the State 

 settled population, it takes the lead of in the Adirondack and Catskill Moun- 

 all the States in acreage of state-owned tain regions for a State Forest Pre- 

 forest preserves, but such is the fact ; serve and some of the waste land 

 and it is now the established policy of planted to trees. 



the State to constantly increase its By statute, in 1892, confirmed by the 



acreage. Constitution in 1895, a park was es- 



In the early days there was no sec- tablished in both regions, composed of 

 tion of the United States that contain- certain lands in sixteen counties. In 

 ed a more dense, evenly distributed, or the Constitution the State has laid 

 valuable forest than that within what is down its established policy providing 

 now the State of New York. In fact, that "The lands of the State, now own- 

 New York State was the home of the ed or hereafter acquired, constituting 

 lumberman, and saw the beginning of the Forest Preserves as now fixed by 

 actual lumbering in the United States, law, shall be forever kept as wild forest 

 Like all the States in the Union, like lands. They shall not be leased, sold, 

 all countries where civilized man has or exchanged, or be taken by any cor- 

 dwelt for any length of time, the de- poration, public or private, nor shall the 

 stmction of the forests by lumbering timber thereon be sold, removed, or 

 and other means has gone too far, and destroyed." 



evil results therefrom begin to appear The first years of State regulation 



and make themselves felt. were not very effective. True, great 



As New York was the first State tracts of land were acquired, but no 

 where lumbering was done on a intelligent effort was made to bring 

 large scale, so it was the first State to the importance of the forest in all its 

 take positive and active means to stop bearings to the attention of the general 

 the timber waste ; to manage, control, public or to induce lumbermen when 

 and replenish the forest growth. The cutting to leave some reasonable for- 

 question was discussed during the time est covering on the hillsides and moun- 

 of Governor DeWitt Clinton, but the tain tops, or to leave seed trees of the 

 first move was in 1872, when Governor corn-bearing species at short intervals 

 Horatio Seymour secured an appiro- to promote natural re-seeding. No 

 priation from the legislature for mak- consideration was given ID the dimm- 

 ing a forest survey. ishing water supply or to the cause of 



The Adirondack's at that time were its diminution. Little care was used 

 an unbroken wilderness, and the bear, to protect the forests from ravages la- 

 the elk, the moose, and the wolf roamed fire. 



about with little fear of interruption. It is true that a firewarden system 



The real beginning, however, was made was established and fairly good work 



by the enactment of a law. in 1865;. done, yet year after year many thous- 



695 



