2 2 EIGHTH REPORT OF THE 



In the returns made by the firewardens of the State of New York for the year 

 1902 much of the burned territory included in their reports consisted of open 

 country on which there were no trees, the land being covered with brier patches 

 or shrubs of small growth. There were large areas also, covered with huckleberry 

 bushes, that were set on fire and burned over by the natives to increase the crop 

 of fruit gathered annually from these places. This was especially the case in 

 some of the Catskill towns, where the picking of berries on wild land furnishes 

 employment each season for a large number of people — men, women and children. 

 These areas, if not burned over, would in time be covered with a growth of trees 

 that would be valuable for the protective functions exercised, even if the species 

 did not furnish marketable timber. These trees would be available also for fuel; 

 and the saplings, when properly thinned by foresters, would supply, to a large 

 extent, the market for hoop-poles. The wardens have made special efforts to 

 prevent fires of this class, with the result that the burned areas from this cause 

 have been materially reduced. Still, as there is great difficulty in detecting 

 offenders of this kind, the recurrence of the evil to some extent may be expected 

 each season. It is doubtful if the time will ever come, however vigilant and 

 watchful our firewardens may be, when forest fires will entirely cease. If all our 

 citizens were intelligent, careful and honest there would be no fires. But this 

 millennial condition has not arrived, and we cannot expect entire exemption for 

 our forests any more than for our cities and villages, which for many years 

 to come will find it necessary to maintain their fire departments. 



In some of the Catskill towns there has been a disposition on the part of the 

 auditing boards to throw out the bills of the firewardens entirely, the supervisors 

 claiming that as there is little or no State land in the town the Forest Commis- 

 sion had no right to appoint a firewarden, and that the town can take care of its 

 own affairs in this respect without any intervention by the State authorities. But 

 the Forest Law provides that: "The Commission shall from time to time in every 

 town having lands which are part of the Forest Preserve, and may in every town 

 having lands which would become part of the Forest Preserve if acquired by the 

 State, appoint a firewarden who shall act during the pleasure of the Commission." 



The clause italicized here became necessary because of the negligence shown 

 by the authorities of certain forest towns in protecting their woodlands from fire. 

 It is conceded that the State holdings in these towns are small, and that in a 

 few instances there are none But these towns contain large wooded areas, a 

 great portion of which are owned by non-residents. The public interests demand 

 that these forests should be protected and preserved, no matter who owns them. 

 True, a private owner can cut his timber if he wants to, but the people at large 



