Conservation Commission 17 



growth; about 200,000 acres are lands under water, while the 

 remaining 120,000 acres are waste and denuded lands. 



Twenty million dollars would be a conservative estimate of the 

 commercial value of New York's Forest Preserve. 



Forest Reproduction 



In order to conserve this vast forest domain for future genera- 

 tions to enjoy, the Conservation Commission has sought not only 

 to reforest the waste and denuded lands owned by the State itself 

 but to aid and encourage reforestation of privately owned lands 

 adjacent thereto. 



The advancement made in reforestation in this State during 

 the period since the creation of the Conservation Commission, in 

 1911, may fairly be compared with the two four-year periods 

 next preceding that year, as follows: 



1903-6 1907-'I0 1911-'14 



Trees planted on State 



lands 577,955 1,341,205 2,636,650 



Trees supplied for pri- 

 vate planting None 2,712,750 10,480,843 



Trees given to State 



institutions None 17,350 2,263,775 



In less than four years the Conservation Commission has 

 planted on denuded State lands about one and one-half times the 

 total planted for eight years prior to its creation. Moreover, 

 during the same period this Commission has supplied for the re- 

 forestation of private lands some 10,000,000 young forest trees, 

 about four times the number furnished for that purpose in all the 

 years prior to 1911. 



During the past year the total number of trees planted 

 on State land was 1,094,150; trees given to State institutions, 

 908,025 ; trees sold to private owners, 2,609,863. 



There are today in our State tree nurseries 32,900,000 young 

 trees, of which 10,000,000 are available for 1915 planting. 



In regard to all this, the State policy is beyond peradventure 

 settled; no one objects to the State's "going into the tree busi- 

 ness"; not even the most pronounced individualist finds it too 



