Forestry and Irrigation. 



VOL. X. 



APRIL, 1904. 



No. 4. 



NEWS AND NOTES. 



Prospective The Senate Committee 

 Legislation at on Forestry, Fish, and 

 Albany. Game is making a 



sturdy fight for needed 

 improvements in the New York State 

 laws. After a good deal of preliminary 

 investigation, the following measures 

 were introduced and are now well on 

 their way in the Legislature : 



A bill (Senate 800) defi- 

 The Parks. nitely settling and ex- 

 tending the limits of the 

 Adirondack Park. 



A bill (Senate 730) creating a forest 

 park in the Catskill Mountain region 

 and defining its boundaries. This, like 

 the Adirondack Park, is to be " forever 

 reserved and maintained for the free 

 use of all the people." 



A bill (Senate 873) amending the 



former law relating to 



Concerning forest fire protection in 



Fire. the following valuable 



points : 



The number of foresters who may be 

 employed is no longer limited. 



The Commissioner of Forests may ap- 

 point five assistant wardens, at least four 

 of whom shall be employed during the 

 fire season in watching the steam rail- 

 roads in the Adirondack Park and in- 

 specting locomotives. 



An}' fire warden may, with the ap- 

 proval of the Commission, establish a 

 fire patrol during a season of drought. 



Railroads in the forest preserve must 

 remove all combustibles from the right 

 of way at least twice a year, and addi- 

 tionally whenever required by the com- 

 missioner. 



Locomotives must be provided with 

 the best form of spark-arresters and the 

 railways may be compelled to adopt 

 any additional devices and precautions 

 against fire which the commissioner 

 requires in the interest of the public. 



Any railroad employe is liable to 

 $100 fine for any violation of the fire 

 laws occurring through his neglect, and, 

 in addition, the company is liable to a 

 fine of $100 per day for each day the 

 violation continues. 



The right of the state to recover 

 damages from fire is so extended that 

 recovery shall be had to the distance of 

 five miles from the place where the fire 

 was set, notwithstanding the fire may 

 have extended to the state lands by 

 crossing one or more intervening tracts. 

 A clause in the Annual 

 Co-operative Supply Bill appropri- 

 Wbrk. ating $10,000 for de- 



fining, classifying, and 

 describing the forests in the forest pre- 

 serve in conjunction with the Bureau 

 of Forestry, provided that an equal ex- 

 penditure shall be made for the purpose 

 by the Department of Agriculture. 



Lastly, a concurrent res- 

 Constitutional olution of the Senate 

 Amendment. and Assembly proposes 

 to amend the state con- 

 stitution so that dead timber on burned 

 areas may be removed so far as neces- 

 sary for reforestation by officers of the 

 state, but not by contract. 



State lands outside the newly estab- 

 lished limits of the two forest parks may 

 be sold and the proceeds used for the 

 purchase of lands within them. 



It Might Have If Senator Brown can 

 Been Worse. now secure the passage 

 of these measures he will 

 deserve the hearty commendation of his 

 fellow-citizens. He has probably out- 

 lined all he thought possible to gain, 

 and in this his generalship may not be 

 doubted, but it must be confessed that 

 the proposed amendment to the consti- 

 tution is a disappointment. We had 



