74 COMMISSION OF CONSERVATION 



been destroyed in this way, or by the process of decay. These soiirces 

 of danger are offset only by the State system of patrol and lookout 

 stations. The conditions on the lands owned by the State, which 

 comprise approximate^ one-third of the so-called Adirondack Preserve, 

 are also very unsatisfactory from the standpoint of fire prevention, 

 since, under the State constitution, no cutting of any kind can be done. 

 The declaration is made that these lands must forever remain as wild 

 lands, and not even fire-killed timber can be removed for any purpose, 

 to say nothing of over-mature green timber. 



A strong efEort is being made to secure a modification of this 

 provision, so that the practice of forestry may be made possible on State 

 lands, thus decreasing the fire danger, and seciiring a handsome revenue 

 to the State to offset the cost of administration and protection, and at 

 the same time increasing the character and value of the forest from a 

 long-time point of view. It is perhaps not surprising, that, so long as 

 the State retains its present non-progressive attitude toward the use 

 and development of its own lands, the holders of privately-owned lands 

 should object to bearing what they consider more than their fair share 

 of the burden of fire protection. Sttfficient allowance is not made by 

 many for the direct benefit of top-lopping to timber owners in the form 

 of decreased fire danger, and for the system of patrol which the State 

 is maintaining in the Adirondacks at its own expense, for the protection 

 of privately-owned, as well as of State lands. The expense incurred 

 by the State in this connection is in excess of $100,000 per annum. 



(i-b) Fire Control 

 There has been much discussion in connection with the relative • 

 difficulty of fighting fire in lopped and unlopped tops. Most of the 

 opinions expressed were by men who had had no experience in fighting 

 fires in lopped tops, and thus had only theory as a basis for argument 

 on this feature of the situation. 



Fire Fighting. — ^The forest rangers employed by the State for fire- 

 patrol work testified for the most part, that fires in lopped tops can 

 be more easily controlled than fires in imlopped tops. In the latter 

 case, branches and fine, inflammable material will be standing several 

 feet above the ground, so that in case of fire in a dry time, burning bark, 

 twigs, and small branches may be carried forward by even a light wind. 

 If the weather is stifficiently dry with a strong wind blowing, fire will 

 travel in a sheet of flame, fed largely by the inflammable material 

 standing above the ground. At the worst, a crown fire ensues, with 

 complete destruction of the forest. Where tops are lopped, the debris 

 is on or nearer the ground, so there is less chance for the fire to sweep 

 ahead, and less likelihood of a crown fire, and men are able to get closer 



