Conservation Commission. 29 



Purchase of Forest Lands. 



No appropriation was made last year for the purchase of lands 

 in the Forest Preserve. An unexpended balance amounting to the 

 sum of $69,694.34 was reappropriated, and made available for the 

 purchase of land in the Adirondack and Catskill Parks. Owing 

 to the fact that so small an amount was available, no effort 

 has been made to enter into new contracts for the purchase of 

 lands in these parks. The money so reappropriated has been held 

 to pay for lands which were heretofore offered to and accepted 

 by our predecessors, subject to the production of a marketable 

 title by the owners. A very small part of the money so reappro- 

 priated has been expended for this purpose, because it has been 

 found that the owners have not been able to furnish acceptable 

 title. 



Of the sum so reappropriated by the last Legislature there 

 remains unexpended $62,809.78, which we deem sufficient to pay 

 for all Ian' 1 - accepted by the State, for which satisfactory titles 

 can be furnished. 



It often happens that tracts of land within the Adirondack 

 and Catskill Parks are offered at prices which are deemed reason- 

 able by this Commission, and in order that there may be avail- 

 able moneys to take advantage of such offers, we recommend that 

 an appropriation of not less than $25,000.00 be made for this 

 purpose. 



The State now owns 1,651,553 acres of land in the Forest 

 Preserve counties, of which 1,412,636 acres are situated in the 

 Adirondack Park and 102,245 acres in the Catskill Park. The 

 remaining lands, aggregating 136,672 acres, are situated in the 

 Forest Preserve counties outside the Parks proper. These lands 

 consist of detached parcels, widely scattered, and it has been 

 found impracticable to protect the same properly from destruc- 

 tion by fire and damage by trespass. These detached tracts are 

 largely of small acreage and of little benefit to the State. 



We recommend that measures be taken to enable this Com- 

 mission to sell these lands and use the proceeds thereof for the 

 purchase of other lands within the parks proper. 



