12 First Annual Report of the 



land had been tendered by the owners and the State bad made 

 offers for the same and agreed upon the price to be paid therefor, 

 subject, of course, to the production of an abstract showing title 

 thereto and subject, further, to the consent and approval of the 

 Executive. 



In the Catskill park it was found that negotiations for the pur- 

 chase of lands aggregating 16,678 acres had been undertaken by 

 the Forest Purchasing Board. The price agreed to be paid for 

 these lands, subject to approval of title and the further approval 

 of the Governor, was $90,518.30, and it was found that the appro- 

 priation available for their purchase was $22,289.86, leaving a 

 balance unprovided for amounting to $68,228.44. 



In the Adirondacks it appears that aside from the large area 

 known as the Taggart-Fisher tract of about 40,000 acres which 

 had been appropriated by the Forest Purchasing Board, it had 

 negotiated for the purchase of lands amounting at the agreed price 

 to the sum of $1,860. The balance of the appropriation available 

 for the purchase of lands in the Adirondacks amounted to the sum 

 of $48,174.48. 



It appears, therefore, that this Board had practically contracted 

 for lands valued at $21,913.96 more than had been appropriated 

 for that purpose. This does not take into account the value of the 

 large tract of land appropriated by the Forest Purchasing Board 

 as heretofore mentioned. 



This Commission has completed the purchase of all lands where 

 the owners had delivered deeds thereto to the State and the same 

 had been recorded, and has also investigated the remaining lands 

 with a view of ascertaining whether the prices agreed to be paid 

 are reasonable and the title thereto marketable; and while it 

 appears that in some instances the State agreed to pay more than 

 the land was reasonably worth, we recommend that the balance in 

 the appropriation for the purchase of lands in the Adirondacks be 

 made available for the payment of lands contracted for in the 

 Catskill park ; also that the Legislature appropriate a sum sufficient 

 to complete the sales so contracted for by the Forest Purchasing 

 Board, estimated to be approximately $25,000. We further recom- 

 mend that they appropriate a like sum so that this Commission 

 may at all times have money available to take advantage of any 



