Report of Superintendent of Forests 

 For the year 1907 



Hon. James S. Whipple, Forest, Fish and Game Commissioner: 



SIR. — The work devolving on the Forestry Department of this Com- 

 mission has been carried on successfully during the past year, nothing 

 having occurred to interfere with it or interrupt its satisfactory 

 progress. Trespassing on the Forest Preserve has been suppressed so far 

 that these offenses have been confined to cases of a petty character, or 

 stopped so promptly that the thieves were unable to remove any timber 

 from the premises. Though forest fires were numerous, owing to a pro- 

 longed drought, they were attacked so promptly by the fire wardens and 

 their men that there was no loss of timber on the State lands, and no wide 

 spread destruction of private property. The forest tree nurseries main- 

 tained by the State are in fine condition, and the plantations made on the 

 denuded lands of the public domain promise satisfactory results. The 

 extension of the Forest Preserve by purchases of land has progressed 

 steadily, the Board having accepted all tracts that were offered at market 

 prices. 



Trespasses. 



During the year 1907 there were 45 trespasses on the lands of the 

 Forest Preserve, as reported to this office by the various officials in the 

 employ of the Commission. With one exception these offenses consisted 

 in the cutting of trees in the State forests. Of these cases seven were 

 prosecuted, and in each a fine amounting to three times the value of the 

 timber was imposed and collected. In one case where the defendant had 

 cut three trees the maximum penalty of $10 per tree was enforced. 

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